Fall Foliage in New Hampshire's Lake Winnipesaukee Region

A last minute road trip to the lakes region this past weekend lead me on a back road excursion taking the path less traveled and not the usual highway route.  I was on a mission to test my Sherwin Williams ColorSnap app again.  Trying to find the  most beautiful turned leaf tree that I could full of vibrancy and saturation before Mother Nature's harsh change of  season takes it all away.  What I found was most trees had already tuned a deeper shade. Had I missed my opportunity to stop and smell the roses this season?  Here is what I was fortunate enough to find.

In some areas such as Alton Bay, Roycroft Bronze Green SW1668 was now prominent in  landscapes sitting on open water as was SW1755 Brevity Brown, SW3041 Palm Leaf and Eminent Bronze SW2098.

In more secluded back roads of Alton I found that vibrancy was more spectacular. Adventure Orange SW6655, Roycroft Copper Red SW2839 and Saguaro SW6419 were paint choices Sherwin Williams ColorSnap suggested from the photo I had taken above.

Taking off the beaten path roadways to get my fall color fix had proven to be a successful journey. Taking some time to enjoy color on my on personal time was my mission.  I hope you enjoy some of my captured moments of the last days of fall 2014.

Foods To Help You Sleep Through the Night

Have a little problem sleeping at night?  No matter what time I seem to go to bed I never sleep more than 4 - 5 hours a night.  I thought going to bed earlier would allow for catching up on missed sleep, that theory never worked for me.  I am beginning to think that I am a true insomniac.

Last night I was starving before I went to bed, probably because I didn't eat dinner.  I knew there was homemade chicken pot pie in the frig, but it just wasn't calling me since I had it for lunch.  The banana and granny smith apple that sat on the counter looked so delicious that I ate both.

A little after 9:30 as the eyes and brain where shutting down at the lap top, I went to bed.  Without getting up during the night or waking once, I opened my eyes at 5:30 this morning.  Yes, it was a total of  8 hours of undisturbed  sleep.

I remember hearing that bananas make you sleepy.  I got on my phone and searched the topic.  Sure enough an article from ABC news caught my eye The Foods That Will Help You Sleep http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/OnCall/story?id=4373991 . The article states that starchy foods contain cabs that can raise serotonin and should be eaten 4 hours before sleep.  Foods such as bananas, apples slices with peanut butter, cereals and potatoes will all help obtain a good nights sleep.

Some foods suggested to stay away from were spicy foods, sweets and even decaf coffee still has some caffeine so beware and have a cup of herbal tea.  Also suggested candlelight.  Yes candlelight will make you drowsy.

I will definitely have an apple and banana snack again tonight.

DIY Salvage Window Coffee Table

With our first DIY make your own coffee table out of an old salvage window class taking place last night brought a few minor glitches.  As the students arrived they were very excited to make a piece of furniture from an old window.  As the class got underway, the hands-on level got a bit intense.

The use of manual hand tools and fasteners was getting a bit tricky for some and for others, they couldn't wait to get their hands on the power drill.

Preparing for the class took a bit more time than actually assembly the table.  Searching for the appropriate old windows was a task in itself.  Looking for the best salvageable window from days gone by took many trips up the coast and inland to central New Hampshire.  Also seeking out the correct hardware to make this DIY creation stand on four legs was also a task.  Thanks to Jamie my mechanical guru, behind the scene, always guiding the way, and best fan ever, the final product was a success.

Glitches that popped up during the class:

• Make sure your old window doesn't just look pretty from the outside.  Examine the window to make sure there is no rotten wood in the interior of the wooden frame caused by water seepage over time.
• Examine the caulking around the glass panes.  It might look fine to the eye, however the pressure from using the hammer to nail in fasteners may jolt and loosen the panes old caulking.

   

All in all the class was a huge success and a lot of fun DIY fun was had by all.

Dressing a fall dinner table

Spending more time indoors and beginning the fall nesting phase sparks creativity in our homes especially when it's time to entertain.  Whether dinner with neighbors or planning a larger gathering, it's always fun to creative with the dinner table.

For fall try some of these easy table decorating ideas using resources that surround your garden, woods and gatherings from yard clean up.

Tree trunk slice chargers

Squash app servers

Fallen leaf place setting name tags

Acorn filled candle holder wrapped with twine

Gourd flower vase

Simple wood bowl filled with pine cones

Decorating the fall dinner table doesn't have to break the bank. So many natural resources are all around us to be collected and admired during the season.

Association of Design Education's Mini Conference 2013

After another year of working the creative brain, sometimes I believe all of us in the design field feel a little burnt.  Whether we are creating new living or work spaces for a client or preparing a home for sale through home staging, blogging our knowledge to the world or juggling our daily personal and work lives, sometimes we just need a little motivation and rejuvenation to continue the creativeness in the workplace.

After attending the Association of Designs Educations's sponsored mini conference last week with Ann Anderson's School of Interior Redesign, I once again was a bit more motivated to continue on.  Seeing colleagues from New York, Connecticut and ones new and old from Massachusetts was once again refreshing.  Whether a newbie in the field or a veteran, I myself was moved to learn a little be more about myself and the way I conduct business through Monica Leggett's coaching exercises.

Thank you once again Ann Anderson and Kimberly Merritt for leading us through your world of beautiful designs.

Apple Pie or Custard Baking Time?

With fall comes apple pie baking.  The outing to the orchard brings great anticipation of baking that perfect apple pie.but what about the pies for the ones who aren't fruit filled loving pie eaters?

 
 

I like apple and blueberry, but what about the custard pie?  For me it's the custard pie.  Yes I can eat custard pie all year round as long as it's homemade with a generous sprinkling of cinnamon on top.  The custard pie isn't just for Thanksgiving.

Debbe's Custard Pie Recipe:

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. salt
1 9" pie crust (Pillsbury premade works great and tastes homemade)

Beat eggs lightly. Add sugar and salt, milk and vanilla.  Roll out your pastry dough, flour the bottom of the pie pan or dish. Place pastry dough in pan and turn edges under. Fill with custard mixture.  Cover pie edges with aluminum foil to prevent edges from cooking faster than the pie and prevent burning.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Enjoy!

The Beauty of the Iron Bed

Why is the iron bed so intriguing?  Is it the charm, the romance, the uniqueness of the true old iron beds of days gone by?  Some advice about the iron bed.  

While out and about and on the hunt for one of these true treasures, don't disregard the bed that fits a 3/4 mattress (not a twin but not quite a full size).

The trick to making this size work is to reverse the bed rails so the flat side faces up.  This allows for the full size box-spring to lay flat on the rails and for the iron bed to have a renewed life.  The box spring and mattress will extend a bit on each side of the frame, however very unnoticeable.

Don't disregard the old rusted iron bed frame.  Sand, remove the rust select a paint color to work with your bedding and enjoy!