Ree's Lodge.

Downloaded more pictures from Pioneer Woman. I actually had her permission this time. I found some borders that could be used on the hood in her Lodge kitchen area. I love this hood border, it's made of iron.

But I think it might be a little dark for the Lodge hood.

This is darkened copper, but I'm sure they would use whatever finish the buyer requests. They don't list any prices on their site, that always scares me.

This one is bright copper. These lovely metal borders can be purchased seperate from the hoods at the Texas Lightsmith.

Does copper clash with stainless? I'm not sure. I definately like this border though.

I found some cool tiles . These are 6"x6" engraved terracotta tiles. I'm afraid they could be pretty hard to keep clean so I probably wouldn't use them in a kitchen. Maybe another area of the Lodge?

They are from TerracottaCorp.com.







These tiles seem perfect for a Lodge/ranch.

They can be grouped together to form a herd running across the hood.

I found them at Linda Paul's Studio.

I like the horse tiles best and I think they would be easiest to clean. Let me know if you have a better idea for the hood. I will try to show what it would look like on The Lodge hood. I also like the windows with the stained glass panes. Keeps the windows from looking like dark holes. They could be back lit to give a warm glow at night. I also lowered the subway tile to line up with the refrigerator tops.

What do you think? Do you like the metal hood borders? Tile? Stain? Talk to me.

On a different subject, I bought these barstools online from Target. We like them alot. I think they could look nice in the Lodge.

P.S. I found a web site that makes tiles from your photos. It's called Tilepix. Ree could put her own wild horses on tile! I love that plan. It's less expensive too!

I used Ree's photo titled "Spirit", it seems perfect for a border. The mock-up is rough, but you can get the idea. She could make tiles of cowgirl pin-ups or the birds she loves to use in her blog banners. What fun!

My Favorite Salad Recipes

This is my favorite fruit salad. I use fresh strawberries instead of pineapple, you have my permission to use either. A fruit salad with butter as an ingredient, you know it has to be good. Remember to add the pretzels just before serving or they will become soggy.

This tomato recipe is great for the end of the tomato growing season when you don't know what to do with all those tomatoes. Just keep throwing them into this mix, tastes awesome.

This one is a standard where I come from. Is it a standard in your area?

Normally I am not a huge fan of lettuce, but this salad tastes incredible! It doesn't keep well, but you won't have to worry about that because it's so good you won't have any leftovers.




This is my favorite vegetable salad ever, ever, ever, it tastes even better after sitting in the fridge overnight. Use fresh grated cheddar cheese if possible, it makes a difference. Enjoy!

Pioneer Woman Contest!

Ree is giving away her own fancy camera for a prize at Pioneer Woman today. Good luck. You'll need lots of luck because I plan on winning this contest, thank you very much!

Blizzard

Yesterday we had just a taste of a blizzard. The dog went out three steps and turned and came back in. I don't blame him. This is what my back yard looked like. I love 'big' weather!

I went out in this nasty weather to fully stock our food supply. But first I called my parents to check if they needed anything from the grocery store. I picked up the milk and eggs they requested and added some pickled herring. Dad loves pickled herring. (My seven siblings don't yet realize that I am slowly and systematically getting them all eliminated from our parents will. Don't tell, k?) About 30 minutes after I got home the sun was out and the blizzard was over. When I was a kid it seemed like a blizzard lasted at least four days. Kids today don't realize how easy they have it. When I was a kid I rode the bus uphill to school both ways!

Lodge kitchen from PW's place.

This is the Lodge kitchen area from over at Pioneer Woman. I probably broke 1,100 copyright and/or infringement laws by downloading these. What the heck, take me to jail PW! I could use a break, catch up on my reading, maybe play a little cards with the other bad a$$ ladies.

I really hope she doesn't mind. I just had to try out some ideas I have been tossing around. I used Photoshop to make some changes.


I took the hanging lights from her inspiration room and put them into her kitchen. I though it needed something to break up all the lines going on above the refrigerators. Also I think it helps lose a little of the eyes and nose appearance of the windows and hood.


I went with stained wood on the bottom of the hood, kept it simple.

I would like to see some ornamentation on the hood though. Something metal with flowing lines for relief from all the straight lines in this area.

I would lose the side windows. I think they confuse the eye. (I heard someone on HGTV say that once and I've been waiting for an opportunity to use it. For a minute there it almost felt like I knew what I was talking about!)

Notice how the tile only reaches the fridge tops in this example? I'm glad she went higher, I think it ties everything together. I ditched all the windows here too. I don't like it. I think I would keep the windows above the refrigerators. Maybe put textured clear glass in the dark colored frames P-dub mentioned they had ordered. The textured glass would let light pass through while blocking out the beams, ceiling and skylights you can see beyond the openings. The windows in the inspiration room kinda sorta have the look of textured clear glass.

Maybe a couple of spot lights could be focused on the windows from behind at night to create a warm glow in the windows. This kind of stuff gets me all excited! If I have some time later, I will try to make an example showing the glass and dark window frames. I know, I know, if I was any kind of blogger at all I would have done that already and posted that picture now. I have been busy alright! The tax man cometh people! We have a pre-year-end tax appointment Thursday morning and I'm not ready! So get off my back! Just kidding. I must save my real ranting and raving for my husband who can't recall why he wrote a check to TXP for $1,137! Anyone know who or what TXP is? Anyone? Anyone?

Maybe cream colored stained glass like the background glass I used in this piece would look nice and blend in a little more with the wall color. What would you do with this area? Do you like the hanging lights? Or would they collect dust and grease? Give me more ideas and if I have time I may try them out tomorrow.

See ya later!

OK, so I couldn't sleep. I went ahead and added the cream colored stained glass and the dark frames. I like it! What do you think? I also blocked out the stainless refrigerators with stained wood. It looks warm and inviting, doesn't it? Oops, I left the side windows in. I'll be right back.

There. How's that? Do you like it better with or without the side windows? Now I think I like it better with them.

Here is a version with a light paint treatment on the hood band. It looks good, but I'm not sure it looks right surrounded by all the stained wood.

Keep the lights or lose the lights?

Here I tried to take the tile all the way up. Too much tile. Definately like the glass though. And the hanging lights.

This is what I would do. Final final final.

No bookwork today!

I don't know if you've noticed, but posts have been sparse around here. Year end is just around the corner and I have been preparing for the tax man. Have I mentioned that I dislike working with numbers and being organized? Yeah, no fun for me. However, I am giving myself today off!

The boys have friends over. I hear screams and laughter coming from the basement. I don't have the guts to go down there and check on them. As long as I don't hear the words; blood, bleeding or broken, I will let them play unsupervised.

I believe I'll do a stained glass project. I haven't done stained glass work for a couple of years. I need to dig through the boxes in the storage room to find my equipment, then set up a space to work. I can't wait to dig in!





This is a piece I made for my sister Rhonda a few years ago, it is back for repair. I have had it laying around for a couple of years. Lucky for me she is not a complainer. It should be an easy fix, I just haven't gotten to it yet.




The two panels below are looking for a new home. I made them for my sister Cheryl, she had them mounted and back lit in the doors of her entertainment center. They looked quite lovely there if I do say so myself.
She tossed them aside in favor of a 50 inch plasma TV. Can you say, "Total disregard for beauty and art and a treasured memento of a dearly loved family member?" I kid, I am glad to have them back. I think they are my best work so far. I do need to find a new spot for them though. I may make a light box to put behind them. Or build some bookshelves/cabinets in my bedroom and use them as doors. Do you have any ideas?

My nephew is going to the Presidential Inauguration!

My nephew Jesse will be going to the presidential inauguration with a large group of boys from the ranch where he works, what an honor! Jesse is a supervisor on a ranch that is dedicated to helping troubled boys. Kids at the ranch work with teams of horses, cattle, one bison and many other animals. They care for the animals and equipment while living at the ranch. Some of the older boys get to participate in rodeos, others drive and ride on hitches in parades. The ranch boys were selected to represent the State of South Dakota in the presidential inauguration parade!

Jesse married Christy this summer in a park at Spearfish, South Dakota. Christy counsels inmates in the state penitentiary to help them to conquer their addictions and return to public life as better people.

My SIL Josie and my niece Angela took the wedding pictures, I assisted by staging the shots and posing our subjects, I also edited some of the pictures using Photo Shop. The neat way to publish and group the shots comes from Jodi over at MCPActions. They are called “Magic Blog It Board” actions. She has a very informative blog. Her tutorials about Photo Shop are easy to follow and are packed with good info. I recently purchased her Portrait Actions and I love them!

Shiloh

My boys have a new best friend. We adopted a three year old boy named Shiloh last Wednesday. We have been visiting the Humane Society, walking dogs and searching for the perfect companion for our family. I finally found Shiloh last week and he is nearly perfect. The people who had him before were forced to give him up by their landlord. They did an awesome job training him. He doesn't jump up, doesn't lick us unless we ask for kisses. He follows commands like a dream. Finally someone in this house obeys!
He is so calm, but loves to play. He gets his baseball and drops it at our feet, if we move away, he picks the ball up and drops it loudly at our feet again and again. I need to get my hands on a video camera. We throw the ball and Shiloh catches it in the air and puts it back in our lap.

He is a sweetheart and a gentleman. We are all in love with our new dog.

These are my great nephews. Baby Dawson brings the number of living family members on my side to 73. That includes my parents, their 8 children and spouses, their children and spouses and their children. Does that make sense at all?

I have been madly cranking out picture Holiday greeting cards for the last week for both sides of my family.

I made this card for my MIL. That's me and my immediate family on the right. I may have removed a chin or two from my face and inches from other areas. I love Photo Shop.

These are my husbands paternal grandparents. This is their first ever photo greeting card. Grandpa and Grandma didn't have a portrait made this year so I made them one out of the photo below which was taken at my SIL's fall wedding.

I ditched the bride, no offence Dawn, and put Grandma and Grandpa side by side. Then I did a little work on Grandmas age lines. She loved the portrait and wanted cards made!

Can you tell I like black backgrounds?