FUN SPRING DECORATING

Hello Friends:


Happy Sunday:


Here in the beautiful NE we have a beautiful sunny day and warm temperatures.
This is the beginning of nice weather for nesting, hunt
for vintage finds, antiques, yard and estate sales galore, its so much fun.


We are all excited about the Annie Sloan visit to Boston, we will learn a lot.


I'm working on my favorite craft:  Antique book pages wreaths, garlands, roses, lamps, and more.
I love to work with old books and decoupage, and such, I find this very relaxing, and today I needed a
calm kind of day, do you have days like this??? I'm sure you do, I'm a very sensistive person, and yesterday, I had a very upsetting day, do you have days like this?  where you try so hard to please but
nothing works right, well, yesterday I had an unfortunately incident, I'm sure you had them, so today is craft city in my place.  Thanks to my friends in blogland for their help I'm making this, I will take
photos later when I'm done.  I just wanted to write on my diary and my blog.

My inspiration comes from the sweet nester, her home and taste is
my kind of decorating, love her house.

 



 

Love her sister's party decorations,










 


Congratulations to this amazing author, check out the book, its great,

Martha




 

Great farm treats and more...

Hello friends:


Spring is here, our weather is great 60's 70's and then,
some little snow, hail, and 30' oh, well is the NE.
Love it or hate it they say...
Its amazing how in different towns the weather changes, nevertheless, I'm enjoying putting the heavy
coats away...
Organic farms, vegetables, gardening is in all of our minds, I usually start with herbs, and tomatoes, then
add a little lettuce and more.  What about you???


Love the "farm market" around here its a favorite weekend activity, we have great vegetables (organic)
plus cookies, breads, jams, jellies, coffees (home roasted) my favorite, jewelry, crafts, antiques, you name it you can find surprises every week.


I will share with you a great find: a recipe that will
comfort on those afternoons that only a cookie, or a
chocolate covered pretzel, or a David's treat, would
bring you a bit of comfort in our turbulent world.


Here it is from Cannelle et Vanille recipes
 








You'll need:
1 stick (110 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup (100 g) packed light muscovado sugar
1/4 cup (50 g) natural cane sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, at room temperature
1 cup (140 g) brown rice flour
1/2 cup (60 g) amaranth flour
1/4 cup (30 g) tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus more for topping
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup (170 g) chocolate chunks or chips

. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, muscovado sugar, natural cane sugar and vanilla extract. Mix with the paddle attachment on medium speed for 2 minutes until light. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the egg and mix until combined.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the brown rice flour, amaranth flour, tapioca starch, fleur de sel, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients into the butter mixture and mix on medium speed until the dough comes together.
3. Add the chocolate chunks and mix until thoroughly incorporated.
4. Scoop the dough onto a piece of parchment paper. With the help of the parchment, roll the dough into a log that is approximately 2 inches in diameter and 12 inches long. Wrap the log with the parchment and refrigerate for 1 hour.
5. In this time, preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Cut the log into 1/2-inch disks. Place them on baking sheets lined with parchment paper or silicone mats leaving 2 inches in between the cookies.
6. Sprinkle the tops with a bit of fleur de sel. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes or until edges set and start to turn golden. They might look a bit underdone, but this is fine. They will harden as they cool and slightly under-baking them will keep them chewy and moist.
7. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before trying to lift them. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days. 500 grams whole milk

YUM,  YUM,

have a great day

Martha

Eye Candy and more

Hello friends:


A lot going on "blogland".  Annie the Queen of chalkpaint is doing a USA tour, she'll be in Boston in April oh la la!!! I love the paint, no primer, exciting.
I did a few pieces with my favorite colors





Love this bedspread from Antro.

the entrace to the house says "class"

Gorgeous stairs, wallkpaper!!!!

Lisa and Piero's house in Los Feliz California.  A cottage, English gardens in Los Angeles!!!!!!!

Love the bookcases and books!!!!!!!, check the chaise love the pillow, and the trow, oh la la, very English sorryand the
Union Jack pillows.

Dinner in the English country dining room in LOS ANGELES, awsome!!!!

Here they are, creators of this beautiful home in the
middle of Los Angeles. Lisa and her husband created
a beautiful home. (courtesy of Apartment therapy)

Great room for a very lucky boy.  Love the details, check

his bedspread so cute.

great family room/study

Check her dream board great study

 

The best room the bedroom, you can see the rest on Apartment Therapy blog, hope you enjoyed the inspiration, have a great weekend, and create something, an email it to me, I will post it on my blog.

XOXOXO

Martha

Decorating with old maps

Hello Friends:


We saw a beautiful sunset yesterday, Spring is on its
way here in the NE, its time to say goodbye to the
gray skies and the rain, and fog.


Sometimes here, we have week after week of gray rainy days. It can get you down and dreaming about
blue and sunny days somewhere else.
Well, I think better weather is on its way.


Some eye candy and inspirations with Pottery Barn 
map decor.

EASY PROJECT I'm doing the coasters, love this, from Martha Stewart.

Love the dresser, even I can do this, just match it carefully, decoupage, it and voila!!!!!

I would love to do a door like this?????

From the "Craft" magazine a great easy project, your coffee table decoupage map.

Subway maps from the Ma. Transit  posters.  Great idea!!!!

maps as blinds  so cool!!!!! just get old maps from schools, yard sales, antique malls. 

From Casasugar site, great idea put them all together, big, small ones.they look great in a grouping.




Great ideas for a room!!!!










I hope you create something with vintage maps, or new maps, just make them look antique with
some  stain  after  you decoupage or  they look great with a little dark glaze that you have
in your  from another project.  Send me  a picture on my email and I will post it on this blog
so we can all admire your "creative achievement",  turn off the TV, and computer and
CREATE,  CREATE.  You can do it.  Crafting, painting, decoupage, is so relaxing.
Start with a small project, like the coasters.  I hope I was able to inspire today,


Blessings from our God to you all!!!!

Martha