In a perfect world I hire people to paint my walls!

by The Big Sister

We've lived in our home for nearly 4 years and have been remodeling VERY SLOWLY, room by room and tax refund check by refund check.  One of our latest projects has been a year in the making.  We started by pulling up the horrendous parkay flooring sold with the house.  It was very orange in color and many of the pieces were worn and in need of attention.  This was replaced with 18'' ceramic tile in (insert color here - I have no idea.  It is very light in color) and boy did that freshen everything up! 

The walls maintained their original pinkish cream shade for several months until I could make my mind up on a paint color.  This wasn't easy and My Husband tells me to just go with what i want.  Well, I don't know what I want most of the time - too much to choose from!  So, when he went on a weekend Vegas trip with the guys I took the plunge. 

My original plan was to paint 3 walls a color named  Milestone by BEHR and go for a feature wall with the coordinating color that was listed on the color swatch - Manhattan Mist.  So I start with the feature wall - the longest and tallest wall in the room.  I complete the wall before deciding how much I disliked Manhattan Mist. The paint color was far to "cool" and bright for this room's light flooring, vaulted ceilings and large bay windows...so I repaint in Milestone.  When I chose the color originally I thought it was more of a gray then a blue/purple but it has grown on me.

Lots of things still need to happen in this room but we have a good start!
To do:

• Paint Trim (blue painters tape is already in place as you can see)
• Replace Switch-plates (or at least put the old ones back on)
• Install a ceiling fan
• Entertainment center
• TV
• End table
• Lamp
• Sofa
• Recliner
• Additional lighting
• Some sort of buffet/bar/shelves/storage
• Wall art
• Gallery Wall (upcoming blog post) 

Summer Solstice 2012

by the Big Sister

I recently made a trip back to my hometown of Toledo, Ohio for a much needed reunion with friends and family!  It is no coincidence that I booked my trip with another of my Sister's parties in mind. Please take a peek of the latest party thrown by The Little Sister.

Summer Solstice

the Official start of Summer

when the Earth is most tilted toward the sun

and the day of the year with the longest period of daylight 

and the shortest night

also another reason to throw a party

The Summer in Toledo started out with a vengeance - record breaking temperatures set the scene for a memorable Summer party.

Guests

Adults (Women Only)

 Decor 

Light up paper lanterns glowed against the wooded backyard while candles were scattered throughout the party for added ambiance.

*The clear containers holding the salad ingredients were once yummy scented candles! Wash thoroughly and you have yourself an up-cycled serving dish! 

Little sister was sure to keep the color scheme true to theme.  Galvanized buckets full of ice housed frosty bottles of beer and water.  White, cream and blue linen napkins rolled in silver rings were available for any mishaps. 

Food 

Simple and light with the hot humid evening in mind.

Drinks

Music 

Nora Jones softly played in the background. 

Entertainment 

A psychic medium was set up in little sister's basement - lots of interesting stories! 

Fun was had by all! Have you ever been to a Summer Solstice Party? 

Vinegar

by the Big Sister

How very stinky yet so very useful!!  Pungent, strong and natural.  I'd like to share a few reasons I like the acidic liquid.

Reason #1 - Salt & Vinegar Chips.  Although they resemble the scent of sweaty feet, this tangy snack is a winner in my book!!

 Reason #2 - cleans the paint off your paint brushes and it keeps your bristles soft!

Reason #3 - I don't have a picture of how terribly corroded my shower head was or how clean and shiny it is now.  I soaked the shower head in a bowl of vinegar for several hours and ta-DA! 

Reason #4 - We've recently started using vinegar in place of bleach.  We've needed something strong enough to combat our work out gear yet gentle enough not to break down the material as often as we need them washed.  See what has caused our increased sweatiness here.  (1 cup of vinegar seems to works well on a large load).   It also works great as a natural fabric softener!

Reason #5 - One of my favorite summer recipes!!  Cucumber Salad.  This is a fresh, simple, and low calorie side dish that my Grandmother has made for years.  I've modified the recipe slightly but it's just as good.

What you'll need:

• 2-3 medium cucumbers
• 1 large onion
• 1 cup vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup (or less) sugar
• A ton of dill weed

Directions:

• Thinly slice cucumbers.  
• Slice onions into thumb length strips. 
• Bring vinegar, water and sugar to quick boil (to dissolve sugar)
• Cool liquid and add to cucumber and onion mixture
• Cover with dill - I go crazy with dill to the point of not being able to see the cucumbers and onions 
• Best if chilled for several hours (or over night) before serving.

*** Taste liquid mixture before adding to veggies.  You may want less vinegar, more sugar, etc.  My Grandma's recipe calls for equal parts  sugar, water and vinegar.  I found that it was far too sweet for my liking so I altered it a bit.

What are your favorite uses for vinegar?  I'd love to hear!