So, my apologies. I’ll try to be better.

I’m also going to try a ‘new thing’ for the blog. We’re going to call it Wordless Wednesday (did you see the title of this post!)  I’m not sure it really needs much more of an explanation than this so…it starts now…

- SB

]]> http://alifemoresouthern.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/wordless-wednesday-outdoor-spaces/feed/ 1 sunshineandsweettea Backyard party Outdoor tablescape Lounge area Couch and chandelier http://alifemoresouthern.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/slipcover-update/ http://alifemoresouthern.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/slipcover-update/#comments Fri, 11 Mar 2011 01:01:14 +0000 Stephanie http://alifemoresouthern.wordpress.com/?p=427 Continue reading →]]> Well, I had planned on finishing up the slipcover tonight… But, quite frankly, I’m tired! I’m also at a point that involves a little too much thinking to figure it out (because, you know, I’m sewing as I go) so it’s probably better for me to just sit here and watch 27 Dresses.

So, I’ll leave you with this half done webcam picture and pretend that it’s good. I think I’m going to do the fronts of the arms next, then figure out the back. I didn’t want to have a seam at the top/back of the chair but I think I may have to…

We’ll see next week

I may even have some wine because it’s Thursday!

Just a quick update post before I head off to work…

This weekend I started working on a slipcover for the yellow chair in our family room. Nothing is really wrong with the chair except for that we aren’t nuts about the color with our current scheme (and that the cat has taken to it as her scratching post…) but it’s these things that have lead me to my next project. Please pardon the photo quality, this was taken from my web cam because both of my other cameras had dead batteries.

The fabric you see on the chair now was my draft… A while back my mom donated some muslin to me as practice fabric and that’s exactly what I’ve been using it for. I wanted to make sure I had a good idea of how to shape my seams, where to sew, how much to cut and where not to cut.

(images from Modern Fabrics)

I purchased the fabric from a store in Charlotte called Modern Fabrics. They are a fantastic resource if you’re looking for upholstery/decorator fabrics and want a better selection than your typical fabric store. Another reason they’re great is that they continually update their website with their new fabrics…makes it easy to browse online and then visit the store if you see something you like.

I made some serious progress on the real slipcover last night and am hoping to finish it before this weekend.

And, a quick slipper chair update for you, I think I’m going to stay true to my first idea (and to all of those lovely inspiration rooms that I keep going back to) and reupholster the chairs in a light beige velvet…

Something like this

Hope you’re all having a great week!

Anyway, in the midst of all of the other things, we did finally find time to hang the mirrors in our downstairs hallway. You’ll have to pardon the grainy pictures; we hung the mirrors after work (and after dinner) and clearly it was dark by then!

We basically decided that we wanted the mirrors grouped on the wall (rather than spaced evenly in the open space) and we accounted for the door that leads to the family room that we always leave open unless there is a mouse, but that’s a story for a different time. The hubs did some math and figured out that if we left roughly 14 inches between the door/doorways, we could leave roughly 7 inches between each mirror, and we liked how that worked out so we went for it.

You may remember that we were having a little bit of trouble figuring out how to hang the mirrors (here). We decided that it would be easiest, even though not preferred, to just hang them off of screws. That meant we had to do a little bit of extra measuring and leveling but in the end it worked out. Just remember “measure twice, “drill” once”". I may have stolen that from every grandfather/woodshop teacher in the world…but it is good advise.

Since we were on a roll we also decided to hang this painting of our house, painted by my grandmother, in our upstairs hallway between the guest bedroom doors.

So, that’s about it. These are really the first things we’ve hung on the walls and it is amazing how much personality they add.

What type of wall decor do you prefer. Mirrors, paintings? Abstract, detailed? Share!

This weekend has been full of interesting things. As you read a few days ago, I found some sweet chairs on Craigslist and recruited my friend Claire to come with me to pick them up on Saturday…you know, so I wasn’t the next Craigslist victim.

We had a lovely day and the chairs are beautiful (definitely in need of some TLC). I swung by her house around 11:30 and we made it to the chairs shortly after noon. We crammed them in the back of my 2001 go-cart hatchback and bungee’d the trunk shut so that nothing would fly out. Then, being the foodies we are, we went for lunch and a drink at On the Border. We both had soft taco’s although Claire was healthier than me (as usual) and opted for mahi mahi instead of pulled beef brisket topped with fried onion strips…oh well! You can read more about the food on her healthy living blog Dine-and-Dash.

Back to the chairs… Here they are in our formal living room. I think this is where they’ll live 99% of the time.

Now, as I mentioned, these need a revamp 1) because they do not match, 2) because they are pretty beaten up and 3) because these fabrics are awful. Gag. I’m thinking we’ll either paint (white) or stain (very dark) the legs and wood trim around the backs. Just so you know, I’m totally torn. For once the Mr. actually wants me to paint something and I feel like they should be stained. I’ve seen cute versions both ways…

We’ll also be reupholstering them ourselves. For the fabric, I’m pretty sure I want to keep these solid and I’m also pretty sure that they need to be velvet; it just seems like the right choice for the chairs! Maybe a light beigey blue color? Using (poorly, might I add) handy dandy photoshop I’ve come up with the picture below which is (as of today) the direction I’m thinking.

Needless to say, your suggestions, opinions and personal experiences/recommendations are more than welcome! I’ve found tons of images online, and photoshopped a few other options that further confuse me!

I think we’re definitely favoring the stained legs….

Today the Mr. took care of the yard, mowing (and simultaneously picking up pine cones, leaves and sweet gum balls), doing a little landscape removal and then planting a garden. Busy guy!

In case you were wondering, these bushes were super close to the house and in the way of the walkway from the garage to the back porch…we basically hate them, so now they are gone!

(this photoshoot was cat approved)

And, to wrap things up here, a mirror update. I tried to hang these suckers today…but as you can see from the picture below, the hooks are really close to the top which means even when the wire is pulled tight you’ll still be able to see it (and the nail it’s hanging from) on the wall. Not ideal. At all. FYI – this was also a cat approved project, especially the wire.

Any thoughts on the chairs are appreciated. Also, suggestions for a better way to hang these mirrors!

Hope you’ve all had fantastic weekends.

SB

Last weekend, either on Saturday or Sunday morning, I wound up watching some random local cooking channel. I don’t know why, I don’t know what channel, sorry. But, I learned a lot!

1) When cooking meat on the stove top (I’m assuming this could really be applied to all types of cooking) don’t crowd the pan. Placing too much meat in the pan, and placing the pieces too close to each other, will cause the meat to steam as the heat causes the moisture to release. Who knew!? Maybe you did, and it makes sense, but that would totally explain why sometimes (when I’m cooking a little carelessly) the meat doesn’t turn out as nicely as others.

2) When cooking scrambled eggs, cook them on a low heat and stir them continuously. Is this tedious, yes. Is it faster and easier to cook them on high heat and stir only occasionally, yes. But, cooking the eggs on a high heat causes the proteins to bond more strongly to each other and can make your eggs rubbery (they can even take longer to digest!), yuck. And, this is not something I learned while watching the tv show, you should remove the eggs from the heat about a minute before you think they’re done(they should still be a little shiny). The residual heat in the pan will continue to cook the eggs and they will not end up overcooked. Add salt, pepper, and any fresh herbs in the last minute or so of cooking so that they maintain their taste and color.

3) When you’re entertaining and plan on preparing a salad ahead of time, put the dressing in your serving bowl first and then add in all of your lettuce and toppings. You can then place this aside, or back in the fridge, and not worry about the lettuce/toppings getting soggy. When it’s time to serve simply give the salad a toss and you’re done. It may not seem like this would save much time – but I bet it actually does!

4) People prefer brownies with a mix of about 70% unsaturated fat and 30% saturated (not what you expected, right). The channel did a taste test of boxed brownies vs. homemade, and the split was about 50-50. Interesting.

So, there you have it. Clearly I wasted a lot of time watching this channel because if each topic was a thirty minute episode, and I watched four… oh well. What are the weekends for anyway?!

Happy Sunday!

PS. I just made scrambled eggs over low heat and stirred them continuously. Yum. They tasted pretty good. Maybe that’s because it’s 10:30 and I just ate breakfast though…

I’m heading out tomorrow with my friend Claire to pick up these beauties for $100 smackeroo’s.

I’m picturing them stained a little darker, and with some new fabric, in the formal living room (but easily pulled into another space if needed).

Suggestions on fabric choice? I’m thinking velvet. Either turquoise-ey or a light blue with warm beigey undertones.

Will share more pictures on Saturday