Real Decorating for Real People
With the Holiday’s just around the corner, we thought it would be fun to have our good friend Shelley from Single Stone Studios start this season’s decorating with one of her wonderful decals. Enjoy the following article and look for Shelley and Single Stone Decals in the Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Ideas Magazine. So without further delay…
You can eat pumpkin based foods anytime of the year, but for some reason they taste best in the fall when it’s truly pumpkin season! What could be better at this time of the year than bakery made from pumpkin? Hey, we even like pumpkin ice cream in our house! Well, these pumpkin scones are…
Veggie protein crumbles are perfect for dishes like chili, pasta sauce, meatloaf and the like, and it makes this chili so good, they’ll never know it’s meatless! When people decide to go vegetarian, I think there are some tears shed over favorite meals. I know my daughter was quite sad about the possibility of never…
You’ll be entertained and amazed at what kid’s will write in a Thanksgiving Journal of Gratitude – give it a try and see for yourself! What do you think of when you think of Thanksgiving? For most of us, Thanksgiving is a time for family. In millions of American homes, Thanksgiving is celebrated in much the…
When it comes time to decorate, why consider only one design for a room? Isn’t it nice to have options? While you are in the design stages, figure out different ways to arrange the furniture or change out the accessories to give your room a new look with minimal effort. Here’s an example, this room started out with an off-white…
Fried rice has always been a favorite dish of mine, but not necessarily one that I would make at home. This was usually a carry out or restaurant dish and I never really thought about making it at home…until….I became a vegetarian. Why you ask because can’t I still get fried rice in the vegetable…
Kid’s will love selecting the fabrics to make their own bedtime fleece blanket. All you need is a couple hours and a couple yards of coordinating fleece fabrics. For years I have been making small bedtime blankets for my children. Generally, they get a new one at Christmas, as long as I can find the time. …
Whether you are a beginner at sewing or an old pro, this pillow cover is stylish and easy to make, plus it will save you dollars! If you have shopped for new pillows recently you know you can really spend a bundle of cash on accessory pillows! I’m talking in the high twenties for many…
It’s time to learn about the color wheel and color schemes so you can pull the colors in your home together like a professional. I have always felt that if I teach you the fundamentals of interior design, you will be able to take that knowledge and create wonderful, well designed rooms for yourself. So…
Message boards are all the rage with the busy lives we lead, so make yours pretty with ribbons that accent your decor and colors that make you happy! I think we can all agree that for something to function properly, it has to be organized. I know I have to clean up my office between projects…
This is a list of the dozen fruits and vegetables that are the most difficult to clean and will inevitably hold onto some of the pesticides and chemicals used to make them grow. I think we all know by now that we must have fruits and vegetables in our diets to stay healthy. As with…
For years, Matt and I have been teaching how to decorate using an inspiration piece,and if you havne’t heard of this, you need to start reading now! It makes decorating so much easier because you select an item that guides you through all your decorating decisions. What could be better than that? An inspiration piece…
Kid’s really enjoy crafting and what better way to spend some time with them than to craft and recycle at the same time! Well this great kid’s book holder will give you the opportunity to do both. Aside from teaching recycling, you have the opportunity to discuss how to care for books and good ways…
Grab a couple popsicle sticks and take your very own colors with you to the store everytime you shop for furnishings to make sure you are buying the right colors every time! I think by now, we all know that it pays to bring anything from home that you can to the store with you…
Playful fabric and felt flowers can be made to put in floral arrangements, they can be added to a child’s costume collection as a wedding bouquet, and more. The way this project started is a little bit crazy, but I do think it has more than just this one application. My daughter has a fairly…
The tofu in this vegan lasagna recipe creates a mock ricotta cheese that is very tasty indeed! I just want to say, “Don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it”! So many people get queasy at the sound of tofu. Yes, it’s bean curds, but, mixed with the right ingredients, it can almost be ricotta cheese,…
Our friend Shelley from Single Stone Studios comments on her visit to the set of Around the House with Matt and Shari where she taught us how to use her fabulous decals. A couple of weeks ago I, along with my husband and business partner, Billy, had a great time with Matt and Shari on…
It’s on to the letter “C” in our quest for versatile home essentials that follow the letters of the alphabet! And remember, this alphabetical list is meant to tell you about items that you can purchase for your home that are always either a good buy, very versatile or functional along with being attractive. I’m…
Embellishing items that you already have around your home is a great way to freshen up the place without spending too much money. For instance, how about giving your plain sheets and pillowcases a little lift with simple embellishments that make them look like a million bucks? How about embroidery? This photo is taken from…
What a tasty, creamy corn chowder that will warm you up on a frosty evening. Add in a nice salad and warm bread and you are done! Corn seems to get a bad rap when it comes to nutrition. Apparently it goes in one ear and out the other, (if you know what I mean),…
Even if you try this ratatouille dish and decide you aren’t a fan, (I don’t know how that could happen) its fun to make because it is so pretty and colorful. The reason I tried this dish is two-fold; first, to satisfy or need for new and interesting vegetarian recipes, and second, to make the…
There are items that begin with the letter “B” that are essential to making your home decor beautiful, just read on and see! B is for Black. The color black that is. The color black is one of my favorite letter B’s. Black is so elegant and has such presence in a room. It is…
Cookies and brownies are 4th of July staples - spice them up with holiday decor and make them the hit of the party. I have a sugar cookie recipe that I love but I know that the store bought sugar cookie dough is certainly fast and easy. In either case, if you are making sugar cookies…
Everyone loves Jell-O so why not try these special recipes from the manufacturer – I did and was very satisfied! Patriotic Jell-O Recipes? I know it sounds silly, but my family really does enjoy good old fashioned Jell-O! About this time of the year I start seeing all the creative things you can do with Jell-O…
Napkin rings are nice added to your table setting and if you make them yourself you can save alot of money. I just love it when I can pull together a pretty table for a holiday or special occasion and know that though it looks like a million bucks, I didn’t have to break the…
Holidays can be a lot of work but if you concentrate on these four simple steps, you’ll be ready for a perfect 4th in no time! Remembering…playing…and eating…all while looking good! It’s an easy four steps that you already do but this year let’s co-ordinate it a little bit. You all know I love the…
Now here is a quick summer recipe that can be perfect for the grill if you have a vegetable grilling basket, or you can just as easily make your vegetables on the stove. This cooks up pretty quickly since the orzo only takes about 8 – 10 minutes. It can be a great side dish…
Sure the blocks are fun, but you are only half way there, now comes the part that makes it into a true quilt! Now that I am into the actual quilting of the layers, I alter between not having any time to get to it and having plenty of time but hurting my fingers so…
This Father’s Day how about thinking of things to do for Dad the minute he wakes up! No sense easing into the holiday…it only comes once a year and we really want Dad to know how much we appreciate him! Don’t we? Well, waking him up with a home cooked omelet is a great way…
If you really want to experience the USA, you need to visit it the old fashioned way with a good ol’ family road trip! Here’s how. Ahh, the good old fashioned family road trip. Does anyone do it anymore? And we don’t mean riding along in your mini-van equipped with TV’s DVD players, and every…
There is a time for embellishment and a time for plain, well now is the time for embellishments, especially if you like them – then it’s always time! This craft article is from our good friend, Shelley from Single Stone Studios. Shelley is a fabulous designer of wall decals and she has several articles on…
Many of these table setting ideas work great for summer dining, but there are a few for other seasons and holidays mixed in as well. As you must know by now, Matt and I do this because we enjoy sharing the ideas and inspiration that we find around us, with you! Well, this is just…
For those of you attempting to try this vegetarian eating style I’m promoting, you might enjoy this vegetarian version of a steak. Mushrooms are a pretty good substitute since we generally see mushrooms used with steaks and they have a very similar earthy, rich flavor. The texture is different, I’ll give you that, but it…
Hey everyone, Single Stone Studios is back with more decals. Last months article was a great success, thanks so much to all of you who read it! This month I want to share some fun ways to use decals. We get so many fun photos back from our customers. They are truly my favorite part…
At some point in our lives, generally when the forties and fifties hit, we moms start thinking about things we ought to be doing, or should have been doing for years to get our health in line. Well on a recent yearly visit to my doctor, I saw a chart on her wall titled, “What…
What a unique dessert made from tortillas, these cinnamon pastires are a sweet ending to any meal! I hope you saved room for dessert! Who doesn’t? Even if there isn’t room, these cinnamon stars go down quite easily. And, I must add that they taste like doughnuts when they are fresh and warm out of…
You don’t need to be making a Mexican dinner to appreciate the flavor in this vegetable dish. Take my word for it, this medley is perfect with any meal! I love eating my vegetables, and I think you might even be able to convince your kids that these are really good. (Skip the part about…
No matter the variety, rice is a dinner time staple but you can jazz it up and make it interesting if you add a little citrus flavor by way of the lime! I have made a couple different recipes of lime rice and this one is the heartiest. Of course, just about any long grain…
Any make ahead dish gets my attention because who has time just before dinner to get everything together? Plus, the light citrus flavor is satisfying. Chicken is always a good start for a satisfying meal. It offers a variety of textures and flavors just by virtue of the different cuts of meat if you will. …
What better to go alongside homemade guacamole than homemade salsa? Or, if you are just interested in salsa….that works too! I have only made this a couple of times and I continue to revise the recipe to the desires and tastes of my family. You know how that goes, someone wants it a bit tangier,…
