Karla's Cottage – Page 124

New marble tile in the bathtub and some much needed deep cleaning

By Karla Nathan / January 11, 2016

Last February, I repainted and did a mini redo on the guest bathroom, after Dewdrop asked me to paint it pink for her. Of course, I like pink too, so was happy to do it.

The tub is original to the house and was awful. We'd put up a cheapo, plastic surround that never looked good either. I hated both, and while my mini redo last winter cheered the room up, it was purely cosmetic and didn't take care of the bigger issues.

Well, I'd decided that enough was enough, that nasty, old tub and the flimsy wall covering had to go. This was the GUEST room, the shower that all my treasured houseguests had to use. And it was embarrassing.

The contractor came out to look at the space, and he suggested a treatment over the old tub to freshen it. Those old, iron tubs are heavy, hard to remove, and are meant to last a lifetime, unlike the newer tub I'd be replacing it with.

But the tub was chipped in some spots, and stained horribly. My son was helping the tilers and asked if I'd ever thought of cleaning it.

Brat.

He meant, deep, deep cleaning and a scraping with a razor blade. Nope, I'd just used sponges and regular scrubbing stuff on it.

So, I soaked it 24 hours with a gallon of straight vinegar in the bottom, and the next morning, added a splash of CLR (to remove hard water buildup and rust). I went after it with a razor blade and magic eraser, and it very soon looked shiny and clean again.

A few touch ups with white enamel paint, and the chips disappeared too. Honestly, it isn't perfect, but it is 90 some years old and I like old things with imperfections, as long as they aren't grimy and gross. This tub looks shiny and clean, while still keeping the vintage feel.

I'm very happy with the results.

Next up, tile. And while the faucets and handles were taken off to tile around, I soaked and scrubbed them too. Our well water had left lots of filmy, white deposits on those and I had thought I'd replace them. Until I saw how nice the tub looked after some elbow grease, then I thought I'd give them a good scrubbing too.

And you know what? I had them clean in a matter of minutes after soaking. It was simple, fast, and saved me a lot of money.

I'd thought that that bathtub and the fixtures were ruined. Then I found out that I am just not much of a housekeeper.

The best part of the redo is this cute, little niche for soap and shampoo. Since this is an old house, we didn't know what we'd find when the walls were opened up, and didn't know if there would be a space to make this work, but luckily, there was space just where I wanted the cubby to go.

I looked at a lot of tile before choosing the marble. I was weighing in between this and white subway tile, both felt old fashioned and right for the age of the home. But the tile seemed toooo white for me, I like the variations of color in the natural stone. I have always admired marble, so I splurged and went for it. And this was a pretty small area to do, so the price tag wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. (and I saved money on not replacing the tub, so that justified it)

And I am so glad that it all worked out the way I wanted. The old tub is a keeper and the tile looks like it belongs there with it.

I've never liked leaving shower curtains open, in this room, or any bathroom I've ever had. But now? Well, I think I just might be keeping them pulled apart. (or at least while the toys are picked up, that clean, uncluttered look most likely won't last long, soon this will return to being a land of naked Barbies)

The lavender ceiling tin might get a coat of white paint…. I liked it before, but now it seems to stand out. (the ceiling tins are a mismatched bunch of leftovers from doing the kitchen ceiling and some stuff I had laying around in the garage from when I used to have an antique business)

A few pink roses in the hand painted flowers on the floor might look good too….

There is always a project waiting to be done, isn't there? For now, I'll enjoy it as it is.

Cirque de Lawrence

family

By Karla Nathan / January 8, 2016

Our small town has a circus school, and our Miss Tree teaches there. Her girls are star pupils and when there is a student performance, we are first in line to get tickets.

I've enjoyed every one that I've been to, but this latest was even better than before. It was such a professional production, and the costumes were gorgeous. I invited my pal, Beth to join me there, and told her that this wasn't like being drug to someone's kid's recital, this was a real SHOW. And it was.

My boy was the DJ and had some swinging, vintage style mixed music to keep the energy pumping.

There was contortion…

Lyra…

LED hoops…

Trapeze…

Silks…

And so much talent!

See what I mean? There were two nights of performances, and I could have used a few more nights of it, all were so good. Some of the contortion makes me turn my head, the drops from the silks make me gasp with fear, and there is never a dull moment. These performers were sharp, entertaining, and exciting.

And not just the ones that I happen to love…

The whole troupe was fun to watch. The theater that holds the event will be hosting it three times a year, if all works out as planned. Let me know if you want ticket info.

And maybe in the future, we will have more family members in the show?

I'll leave you with some highlights of the performances.

Under the Sea and still under the spell

celebrations, Dew Drop, family, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / January 5, 2016

I know it is the New Year (already???!!) Well, at least I am trying to convince myself that, yes, Christmas is over, 2016 has arrived, and it is time to get back to normal.

Hmmm, if I could just figure out what normal is.

Anyway, our holidays were so full that I still haven't run out of photos from them. And I am still basking in that holiday glow. Soooo, I'm indulging myself with yet another blog post of girls being excited by the Christmas extravaganza.

Last year, we started a tradition of seeing a play at the local theater as part of our month long party in honor of the holiday. The play in 2014 was Mary Poppins, and was cute as a bug.

This year, we got to see The Little Mermaid. It was spectacular! Yet one more reason that we are lucky to live in such a cool town with so many interesting things going on.

I'll leave you with some pics from the day, and I just might sneak in a few more of happy girls enjoying Christmas too. Because those are my favorite pictures of all.

Unless we are at a beach… I do love beaches. That sounds especially good right now when the temps are dropping in the midwest and things get icy.

But for now, Under the Sea is close enough to the beach for me.

A year in photos through my art journal

Books, celebrations, family, photography, vintage paper/collage art

By Karla Nathan / January 1, 2016

What better way to look back over the past year than through photos?

I take pictures almost daily, and while many are blogged and I can look back at them that way, I still prefer having books to leaf through and enjoy.

Most of my favorite photos get pasted into one of my art journals. A physical copy of a photo is very meaningful. And I always worry that digital pictures are only a dirty, cruel virus, or a silly mistake away from disappearing forever.

Plus, it just feels good to look through a book of memories.

I include some artwork, and other tidbits. Like the schedule I printed for Birdsong last spring.

And a painting that I'd done years ago and found in the bottom of a drawer. (It is mounted on paper that was dyed when I used it as drainage for some other hand dyed project.)

My books are a little of this, a little of that, and a LOT of grand fairies.

Here, I saved the tiny paintings I made to create the buttons on my blog. Next to it, is Dewdrop, snuggling a kitty both on vintage papers and tied together with ruffled ribbon.

While my books are quite a hodge podge, I do try to have adjoining pages look nice together, either by theme or color.

And I like to have different sized or shaped photos to add.

Sometimes, one photo is all I'll put on a page.

Other times, I'll fill the page up.

Often, I'll add cards that I was given during the year, and have pictures inside the card to see when it is opened up too.

And I'll add danglies, I love danglies. This heart was a "to-from" tag off of a gift given to me by my sissy.

This is the picture inside the card, along with lace and old images.

Sometimes I'll use inks or paints behind the photos. And on this page, is a tag given to me at Birdsong.

On this page, I've cut the people out of the photos.

Here too.

And here.

Doodle pages always add interest.

Throughout the year, I'll toss little items I like into a journal box and save it up for a day when I feel like sitting down to make a page.

Not all pages are elaborate. This is torn pieces of old paper, with two photos on it. I've outlined the pictures with a marker.

But other times, I feel like doing more. Like these branches drawn onto the page and the "hinged" mat. When the mat opens up like a door, the branches are drawn underneath to continue on the full page too.

Some pages are just for fun. But they still hold memories for me.

Not only do I love having these completed books to linger over, and sometimes pass around at family gatherings, I dearly LOVE making them.

And they really are never quite finished. It isn't uncommon to go back and add a little charm or doodad years after the book was supposedly finished!

And they aren't usually chronological, either. This is a picture from the year before that slipped into this book.

The important part of the books I make, is the love that goes into them. Yea, I know very corny. But true. I adore working on them, and have to stop myself from obsessing over making journals.

I thought maybe my New Year's resolution should be to not spend soooo much time doing books, when I should be making things to sell….

Nope.

I'll still have these books to pass down to great grand fairies someday. But if I made something to sell instead, I'd have spent the money on some little token and it would be gone by then.

So, maybe my resolution should be to not beat myself up over the time I take away from work to make books for myself?

These do bring me a lot of joy. And I am such a workaholic, I get plenty of other stuff done too.

Sugarwings has started her own art journal, plus is kind enough to make things for me to add to mine. Maybe I'll resolve to help her get her own journal habit going more this year.

As far as resolutions, those aren't bad. They are probably pretty doable.

I don't take resolutions lightly. The list's improvements for the year ahead are something I think about and try to uphold.

Last year, I worked hard on being more patient, and nicer. I think that helped, and I stayed aware of the issues I had to deal with. By doing that, I think it honestly made a difference in my attitude.

Vowing to enjoy the work in front of me, and not being impatient with myself for making what I want to make instead of what I think I should make, kind of echoes last year's resolutions. It is me being patient with myself, and not annoyed. Last year, I vowed not to get so annoyed with others.

It worked.

And I felt the benefits of it, personally and emotionally. I guess anytime you work on being nicer to others, it comes back to being nicer to yourself too.

I think I'll also resolve not to keep apologizing for other people's perceived notions of what I meant when I said something as opposed to what I really meant.

That is a hard one.

All I can do is explain what I meant, apologize for possibly being misleading, but assure that person that I didn't mean it unkindly.

I can't be sorry for what someone THINKS that I thought if that is NOT what I thought, right?

Sounds simple, but this is a trap I've been caught in.

So, as long as I know my intentions are clear, I can't feel bad about how upset a person gets with me. I will do my best to be a nice guy, if another doesn't see that in me, then….. well, not my problem!

We can only control our own reactions, not other's reactions.

Ooh, that one really is hard.

So, here is my list for 2016:

1- Keep trying to be patient and kind, and be true to my own emotions, do not let others perceived notions effect me if they are not correct. Of course, part two of that means, looking deeply into part one to make sure that I have not been hurtful.

2- Enjoy the work in front of me, whether it is personal, or profitable. This kind of goes along with my life motto of "Use the Good Stuff"- if it is worth my time, it is worth using the best materials. The work is also worth using my best outlook too, right? If I'm going to do it, I'm going to let myself go, and let the guilt go too.

So, 2016 looks like a year with some effort ahead for me.

And some enjoyment.

I hope that your year holds some improvements, surprises, many blessings,and lots of enjoyable, creative moments.

Beautiful grand fairies and beautiful cloaks

fairies, family, paintings, sewing?, show and tell

By Karla Nathan / December 30, 2015

My sister-in-law, Terry is a talented person who is happy to share her skills. When I was admiring her work on the dozen or so costumes that she had whipped up for the Grand Masked Ball that she hosted on Halloween, she offered to make cloaks for all of my girls.

At the holidays, when you know how swamped everyone is.

So, the big girls and I, plus Sugarwings and Dewdrop spent some time finding just the right fabrics. That led to nice days out together and good bonding time. I was slightly overwhelmed by the sheer volume and weight of the fabrics (7-1/2 yards each of exterior and lining!!) for the teenager's capes and couldn't imagine trying to make them myself. But Terry is a pro and spent many happy hours creating costumes for her kids' high school plays (all the parts, not just her own children) and is an expert in this type of sewing.

The cloaks arrived in time for Christmas and were as pretty as can be.

They were the hit of the night when the boxes were opened on Christmas Eve.

Plus, they are plain old, ideal for swirling and twirling in.

And when you put one on, you feel mysterious and beautiful.

But what could I do as a thank you? I decided to do a Sugarplum Fairy painting of a sprite in a cape, and use Terry's own granddaughter as a model. That little one has hauntingly beautiful eyes!

Terry is a major art collector, she owns paintings from artists who hang in the National Gallery.

Yes, intimidating!

So, I kept it simple and turned my whimsical, little piece into an ornament. I had a vintage picture with a domed glass and thought that would work well to turn into something to hang on a tree.

I did a small painting, cut it out, glued it onto chipboard covered in gold paper with a glittered snowflake added to the background for dimension. Then, I frosted the "fur" with mica flakes, and the wings with fine, crystal glitter. With the domed glass, I had space to add a nice, sparkling rhinestone to the magic wand.

The same gold paper is on the back, and the edges are glued shut and sealed with glitter velvet ribbon. The same ribbon is looped as a hanger and secured with a bit of flocked gold paper. (the glue is still wet and showing in this picture, oops!)

Before putting the original painting in the frame, I scanned it to make a few Christmas cards, and this piece for my own tree.

For now, it is tucked into a feather wreath that is hanging on the mirror.

I know that Christmas is over and I should be dismantling all of the decor…. but I'm just not ready to let go yet, are you?

Our Christmas

celebrations, Dew Drop, dogs, Dorkies (Yorkshire Terrriers), Food and Drink, holiday decor, Sugarwings, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 26, 2015

I hope your holiday was full of joy. We had some fun experiences, and plenty of laughs. With lots of hugs.

We started out our two day, holiday extravaganza with a nice, long walk in the woods on Christmas Eve.

It has been mild weather, ideal for a light jacket and some time in the trees.

Albie took that literally, and showed off his climbing abilities. That boy loves to climb trees.

Dewdrop likes to be a damsel in distress waiting to be saved from her perch in the branches.

And her Pop Pop is always happy to step in and help her down.

Katie's girls are as adventurous as Albie and showed off their circus skills by straying off the path and up the branches at every turn of the trail.

Of course, when you hang out with trapeze artists and circus performers on a regular basis, things usually get interesting.

We also had a big, family yoga session before our dinner Christmas Day.

Which soon led to a human pyramid.

Or two.

Or three. (Although this one is only 2/3 human)

Notice that I am not in any of the piles? I was in charge of Santa Hats and photos. Somehow, I wasn't added to the stacks of people, I think my reputation for clumsiness is pretty well known.

Our Thursday was full of exciting deliveries, there were presents being left on the porch all day! One was a package of steaks which came with DRY ICE packed in it.

I was intrigued by the dry ice and used it to create a mini fog machine in this old, silver coffee pot, with the mist flowing from the spout and around the evergreen branches. (Adding rubbing alcohol to the block makes clouds of swirling fog rise from it)

We also tried making sushi on Christmas Eve.

Tried pretty hard.

Then my husband got us some take out.

It was a little like the Bumpas' hounds ruining Christmas dinner in A Christmas Story.

On Christmas morning, we had evidence of the Jolly Old Elf's visit, by the tracks of glitter left on the floor. And I have a feeling, I'll be seeing remnants of that holiday magic for the rest of the year.

The evening ended with Elf and Nightmare Before Christmas, after a big poker tournament where Ryan won 40 bucks from his cousins and was beaming with pride.

I'll leave you with a few more pictures of our celebration, and wishes for a happy holiday season to you too.

You’d better watch out…

holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 24, 2015

Do you do "elf on the shelf"? We haven't although, I adore those little vintage elfies. When I first heard about Elf on the Shelf, I thought it sounded like a blast, those elves were faves of mine as a kid and my grand fairies love them too.

But then, I started thinking about how they are watching you.

All the time.

No matter what you do.

And they MOVE.

From one room to another.

And pull pranks during the night.

Not that I think elves are spooky. Elves are related to fairies and my whole family believes in fairies, (except my husband who thinks he has to be the voice of reason around here).

We all love elves. And while I really get a kick out of seeing all the clever poses on Facebook and Pinterest about what those goofy lil guys get up to during the night while kids are sleeping and the sprites can take a break from watching the children's every move, I don't think I want the pressure of eyes watching us around the house and reporting back to the North Pole.

So, all elves are welcome here, but not as spies. Just as friends.

I'll leave you with some Christmassy pictures of the cottage, and I'm going to go wrap last minute gifts now.

Merry Christmas!

Ornie make overs- Guncle Randy and Guncle Kevin- DO NOT read if you haven’t opened your gifts yet

holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / December 22, 2015

Every year, I love to add some new hand made pretties to our tree.

And what is prettier than photos of my grand fairies?????

I can't think of anything.

After Christmas last year, I bought these bubble glass (well plastic, really) frames at Hobby Lobby for 90% off.

Here is how they started out. Red isn't really my color, so I generously coated them in glue and added a layer of white gold, fine glitter over it.

I popped them open, and added the pictures over glittered snowflakes from Walmart, then did some embellishing.

Some, I kept red and used for Guncle Randy and Guncle Kevin's gift, a banner. Here is their baby, Bella (with a vintage bell on her frame)

This little guy got a sparkly snowflake too.

Zack was placed in a tart tin, lined with old paper I'd glittered, red lace and tinsel.

On all of the photos, I used colored pens and glitter markers to dress up the dog's scarves and collars, and then again to fancy up the guncle's sweaters.

Kevin tells a story about how his dad used to fill their Michigan backyard with water to freeze and create a skating rink. I added a mini skater to this banner segment for him in honor of his sweet parents.

This pup's piece features an old ornament I'd been saving to use for something special.

And that is what Kevin and Randy are. Something special.

My Sugarplum Fairies are part of my Christmas displays this year too. It means a lot to me each year when I get out the boxes of sparkly stuff, to unpack memories of where I was creatively when I made some of our decorations.

This year's photos and these little fairies will have a special place in my heart when I see them over the years as I set up the trees. I hope the guncles will enjoy their banner too.

A Santa Do-Over and some fancy time for the big girls too

celebrations, Dew Drop, Sugarwings

By Karla Nathan / December 20, 2015

We took the grand fairies to see Santa again, this time at Lions Gate Country Club. Of course, the little ones were excited to see Mr.Claus, but I was really excited to see the fab brunch that was set out…

Beth came along with us, and we decided it was a good time to practice being hoity toity since we will be attending Deb Hodge's fancy event in Feb. We will be living the high life then, that event looks amazing!

So, a luxury style holiday buffet was just what we needed to get into practice of being pampered.

And we wanted to do some elfing around.

We arrived early so that Sugarwings could have a heart to heart with Santa, since her last visit with him was so intimidating.

All went well, and smiles prevailed.

Of course, when you are spending time with this little goof ball, there are usually plenty of smiles (and funny faces) to share.

Lion's Gate is part of the company my husband works for, but it is a 45 minute drive, so we only go there for special occasions. The food is always THE BEST and they have cute events for kids.

That is where Dewdrop first met her favorite princess, Snow White. It was at "Ghost and Giggles". One of the co-workers dressed as Snow, and Dewdrop fell head over heels for her. She is always happy to see her when we visit the club. She even took her an apple this summer when we went there to use the swimming pool on a day out.

Hmm, if you think about it, that might seem traumatic for Snow White, to be handed an apple. Isn't that a scary memory for her?

On this visit, she gave her a shy hug, then watched her from afar. Then, she told her Pop Pop that she was so happy to see her friend again, and asked him if he knew that Snow White had a job there.

I could save a fortune on vacations, if I just went to visit this Snow White over and over, to Dewdrop, it is as exciting to see her there as it is at Disney.

It doesn't matter where you go, as long as you bring your imaginations. Fun is waiting for you anywhere if you just look for it.

I hope all of your holiday celebrations are tasty and fun too!

Tips for Creating a Twinkling Holiday Party Buffet

Food and Drink, holiday decor, We're having a party

By Karla Nathan / December 18, 2015

Every year, I look forward to hosting the book club party. It's a good reason to make some goodies and do a little extra decorating. And while there is book talk, too, there is less emphasis on the books and more on the people, so we all get to get caught up on what is going on with each other.

If there was any way possible that I could make this work on a regular basis, I would keep lights under the table.

But with a houseful of doggies, kiddos, and well, a husband who probably wouldn't find it easy to pull up his chair to the table and enjoy his morning paper and coffee… well, I just don't see how it could happen.

But gosh, isn't it fun for a party?

All twinkly and sparkly?

For real life, our over sized, hairy, puppy would be chasing dorkies under the table, getting caught on the table cloth, and pulling it off as little dogs run across the room tangled in lights. And grand fairies would trip on extension cords.

Around here, I get away with a LOT of over the top decor at Christmas, so I guess I'll not complain about not having a glow under my dining room table full time.

Plus, to get the full effect, I need to move all the chairs away from the table, like I did for book club seating.

And on a normal basis, it is kind of nice to have chairs around the table.

I'm going to miss them when I take them down tho! Here, let's look just one more time…. ahh!

If you'd like to try it for a party, it is pretty simple. I hooked two sets of lights (one warm white, one cool, for a nice blend) to a power strip, and laid them about 10" back from the legs, all around the front and sides of the table. Closer and they look too obvious, further back and they don't show enough.

I used a sheer curtain across the front of the table, and a lace curtain on each end, anchored them in place with a small bit of duck tape, then threw another, heavier table cloth (actually a painter's canvas drop cloth) over the top of the table. My dining table is 110" long with all of the leaves in it, so I had to use a combo. If your table is smaller, it can be less complicated to do. But I do think something sheer works much better than a heavy cloth, but yet I like a more opaque cloth over the top.

I felt like the canvas calmed it down and was more cottagey than if I'd gone with something frilly. There was already a lot going on. Also, when I do a buffet spread, I like to have a care free table cover, because things do spill.

Run the power cord from the back, and make sure it isn't somewhere that it will be tripped over. I set an extra chair over mine. If that isn't an option, use duck tape or a rug to cover it. Of course, if possible, you can just push the table against the wall and not worry about that. That might be pretty for a side table in the living room, huh?

We had some tasty, but simple food. A small veggie tray (lined with kale I had growing outdoors)

Chocolate chip cookies baked in a silicone pan with square shapes, then sprinkled with powdered sugar. I though that dressed them up a bit. The hardest part was picking all those Crunch Berries out of the Captain Crunch to decorate the plate.

Ha!

My friend, Connie kept teasing me about the Crunch Berries. They are actually peppermint pretzel balls. A couple handfuls of those made chocolate chip cookies look a lot more special.

At Thanksgiving, I made up extra pumpkin cheesecake batter and froze it. Then, I put puff pastry in those same shaped silicone baking pans and made mini cheesecakes. I added an ornament to the tiered cake stand.

All of the dishes were glass, white, or cream. Adding a mirror, and compotes for texture and height make a pretty display for the fruit and cheese.

For more height, I sat a mini white tree on the table (its cord plugs into the power strip for the lights on the floor) I like to have a layering of heights for visual interest, so there is a green and white flower arrangement (mostly inexpensive mums and carnations with branches from outside) in front of the tree. The height from the tree, to the flowers, to the two compotes, stair steps down.

Around the back of the table are two white garlands with some battery powered lights over them. Setting that little tree and the two garlands across the back of the table took a matter of minutes, but it looks like I went to a lot of effort.

The serving pieces are gathered onto a metal tray at the other end of the table. I like to use this metal basket for ([plastic) silverware and napkins. But a vase, basket, flower pot, many other things could make an interesting way to set out the silverware.

The rest of the food that we had was easy, a dip, some crackers and pita chips, cupcakes and a baked brie. The brie is a family fave, I use a premade pie crust, lay the cheese on it, sprinkle with fresh rosemary, wrap the crust up over the cheese and bake.

None of the food that I served was particularly hard to do, or expensive. It looked fancy because I took some time to set it out in a creative way. Most of the dishes and serving pieces are from garage sales, and I buy flowers from the mark down buckets at the local grocery store.

Having all the overheads off and just a glow from the Christmas lights makes everything look special too. Ambient lighting makes a huge difference for any party.

But the very best, most important tip I can give you for a party? Remember that the party is about having a good time. Enjoy yourself, don't over do it. If something is too stressful, skip it, and do something else. Maybe make as many of the goodies ahead of time and freeze them til needed, or buy pre-made trays? The gathering should be as much fun for you as it is for your guests.