The Apple Street Cottage

Even though it's cold and snowy outside, I can add a little "Spring" to the inside. I found this container about 5 years ago on clearance and knew it had to come home with me. I filled it with silk flowers and it lived on the mantle of our old house.   Since this house has no fireplace (insert 'sad face' here), I decided to put it on the dining room table.  The table runner was made by my husband's great aunt.  I'm sure it waas a dresser scarf, but I repurposed it as a table runner. Spring is 25 days away - or so they tell me!  I'm hoping this will encourage it to arrive a little early!   Stay warm, my friends! Linking to: Merry Monday Amaze Me Monday Make It Pretty Monday

One pair of curtains & two windows - that was the dilemma I was facing.  Since the curtains matched my bedspread, I searched the internet to see if I could find another pair.  No luck!  Spending money on a new bedspread and curtains was not in the plan, so, it was time to get creative! What did I do?  I got out the scissors and cut each panel if half!  Each panel was 50" wide and the windows at the cottage are  36".  It was a little nerve-racking to cut those panels, but, I had nothing to lose.  The bedroom had 2 windows!   After cutting the panels the only thing left to do was sew some straight seams.  Pretty easy!  I also had shear panels to finish the look.   I'm sure you're looking at that photo and asking, "What is that valance hiding?"  Well, here's the answer: I hung the sheers and curtains all on one rod and covered the top with the valances that came with the cottage.  The valances got a fresh...

I hope you are staying warm in your part of the world.  It's still below zero here today and we're expecting a few days of this kind of cold!  Yikes! When it's this cold, there is nothing like a hot bowl of Stuffed Pepper Soup to warm you up!  The original recipe I found (see it HERE ) is delicious, but it's made with condensed soup and I wanted a recipe that was 'less processed'.   I found one on Pinterest, but it had ingredients that made it taste more like an Italian soup.  That's not a bad thing, but I wanted a soup that tasted like a stuffed pepper.  So, I looked at my recipe for stuffed peppers and modified it to make it into a soup.   The result: The recipe: 1 lb. ground beef 1 medium onion - chopped 3 green peppers - chopped 3 15-oz. cans tomato sauce 3 cans of water 1 14.5 oz can beef broth (I use low-sodium) 3-4 tbsp. brown sugar 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce 1 - 1&1/2 cups uncooked rice - depending on how ...

Good Morning & Happy Monday!  We've been hit with a ton of snow at the cottage and that means "snow removal"!  I took this pic of my hubby last night: I sent it to my daughter and her boyfriend said it looked like something out of a horror movie!  I'm sure it's because fof my fabulous photography skills!  LOL Today I want to show you a little desk that was left behind in the cottage.  It was sitting in the corner of the laundry room looking pretty humble. It even had a chair: I thought they would make a great addition to my Craft Space in the basement.  Remember "White Is Bright"? Since I wanted to keep things light and I was using a black and white damask design on the craft table (see HERE) , I thought a light blue would be perfect.  I chose Valspar's Blue Bouquet and got to work.  I did very little prep - washed the desk and removed the knobs - no sanding or primer!  Here's how Little Blue looks now: I k...

Greetings!  I hope you're staying warm in your part of the world.  It's been pretty chilly here and we've been planning/working on indoor projects at the cottage.  Today,  I want to show you my 'new' craft table.   I try to use what I have before spending money on something new.  This old work table was sitting in the basement near the furnace.  My husband didn't want it, so I claimed it as my new craft table.  It was a little "rough around the edges": If you're wondering about that angled piece on the right, it held a dowel for a roll of paper.  I decided not to turn it around and use it because I just KNEW I'd walk into it constantly! You may recall seeing it in the White Is Bright post a couple of weeks ago: That area is my new Craft "Room".  It's a great space, but it is far from finished.  I plan to give you glimpses into it as things are done, so let's get back to that table.  Here is a close-up of the ...

How about a nice casserole to warm you up on a cold winter day?  It seems like arctic weather has descended on the entire United States and there is nothing like a casserole to warm you up! Hungry? There are 3 reasons why I love this casserole - besides being delicious: 1.  It's easy to make. 2.  It has veggies in it. 3.  It makes enough for 2 meals...so you don't have to cook one night!  Isn't that always a bonus? Here's the recipe: Ingredients: 3 cups of egg noodles 1/4 cup butter 1 red pepper - chopped 2 stalks celery - chopped 1 small onion - chopped 1/4 cup flour 1 tbsp mustard pepper - to taste - I just sprinkle! 2 1/4 cups milk 1 package of sweet Italian sausage - I bought links and removed the meat from the casings 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup breadcrumbs 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 tbsp melted butter Directions:  1. Spray a rectangular baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. ...

Happy New Year!  I hope you had a wonderful holiday.  Life at the cottage is getting back to normal.  Christmas is packed away, we are healthy, and are now looking at the projects that need to be tackled. Today, I want to share one that was started before the holidays. The cottage came with a fabulous space in the basement.  The walls were finished in 3/4 inch pine boards, it had a bar, and heat.  The only drawback...it was pretty dark and dated.  Take a look: This space will be my Craft "Room". Our neighbor told us that the original owners had many parties here! Very 1950s, don't you think? The first step in this project was washing the walls with a rag and Murphy's Oil Soap.  Yes, they needed a good cleaning!  Then came 2 coats of primer and 2 coats of white paint.   This was a BIG job!  Don't let anyone fool you with a story like, "we painted the walls and it was great".  This took several days with t...