Decorate: Kids Rooms

Kathleen Rear

no comments

April 26, 2010

I’m embarking on a pretty ambitious project. I’m going to be redecorating my kids rooms. Did I mention they were teenage boys?
Yeah. I hear you out there. The woman who just spit diet coke all over her keyboard and called me crazy. I know, I am.
My husband wants no part in it. But I’ll get to that in a sec.

Remnants of grade school age interests are all mashed with what they are into now.

Here’s Kellen’s room.


Kellen is a serious student and a musician. He needs room to study and organize his work.
He also needs room to rehearse, plus a better way to store his instruments and equipment. He has tons of storage but it’s not utilized in a way that makes it efficient.
Plus I’m using his space as overflow for my linen cupboard.
BAD Mommy!

Here’s Gavin’s Room


You see the trains choochooing their way around the top of the wall there. It took me a solid week to cut them out of a book and wall paper them up there. He could name each and every one. Awwwww…
Yeah, they’re history. He’s over it. Let that be today’s lesson guys, tape them up!
In fact the trains, or the removal of them, is what got this rolling…

Me: If I take down the trains then I’ll probably need to repaint after.
Jef: Uh huh
Me: Kellen could use some paint too
Jef: Mmmm
Me: While I’m at it I should do something about their curtains
Jef: …..
Me: I should just re-decorate. Like, full-out DO it!
Jef: (gulp)
Me: Paint, some new fabrics, OH!! A focal wall!!
Jef: (edging toward the door)
Me: What do you think?
Jef: *&%# almost got away! Sweetie, I think it’s a great idea. I’m all for it. But, I’m totally out of it! It’s all you. I don’t want to know, I don’t want a say, I don’t want to have one single thing to do with it. Got it?
Me: You mean you don’t want to help?
Jef: Yeah, that’s right. It’s your thing entirely.
Me: I get to choose all the stuff and you don’t get an opinion!
Jef: I do not have an opinion.
Me: That is so brave of you! I love you so much!
Jef: Uh huh, yeah we’ll just see about that.

Or you know, something like that.
Where was I? Oh yes, Gavin’s room.
Gavin has the smaller of the two rooms but we’ve compensated for that by installing shelving. He needs it too, for my son is a collector. He has a hat collection, a finger board plus accessories, and a Ugly Doll collection, art supplies and shoelaces, etc.
He’s also very into art and graffiti and skating. He has up to 3 skateboards at a time so, there must be room for that too.

I started with the window treatments. I chose a fabric based on the colors they chose from a paint store fan deck.
If your paint store sells these, buy one! You’ll use it forever.

I started looking on line for accessories I thought would be right for each room and for each boys taste.

With the paint chips and fabric samples and pictures from the websites I assembled a design board.
The kids were quite relieved the design wasn’t going to be Momish or fruity. I was happy they liked my ideas.

For Kellen’s design, I chose a rather Mod looking fabric in warm colors. The lighter color in the fabric will be the main paint color, and the darker brown will be for the focal wall. I’m going to take some photo’s of his instruments and use them as art for his walls.

Same for Gavin’s colors. The lighter color is the main color and the medium blue is the focal wall. I’m also getting Gav a big canvas so he can create a piece of art for his wall.

Stay tuned sports fans and see how I do all by my self!

Dinner Tonight: Sausage and Veggie Pasty

Kathleen Rear

1 comment

April 22, 2010

A pasty (pass-tee) is like a pizza pocket but without the Italian ingredients. I really didn’t want to go to the store yesterday so I started hunting around for leftovers that I could throw together. Then, I remembered Alton Brown’s “A Pie In Every Pocket” episode.

Sausage and Veggie Pasty
(Your ingredients could vary)
1 small yellow onion
1 package Aidells chicken and apple sausage
2 small carrots
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt & pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
egg wash
1 batch pizza dough (or 2 tubes prepared pizza crust)
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley

Prep:
Preheat oven to 475 degrees
Prepare pizza dough (recipe to follow)
Peel and dice (very small) the carrot and onion.
Dice the sausage (try to get everything about the same size)
Measure out the rest of the ingredients and set aside.

In a large saute pan heat the oil and cook the onion over medium until soft. Add the carrots and cook for about 5 minutes. Add the salt, pepper and herbs.
Add the sausage and cook just until warmed, then throw in the peas and cook only until they are defrosted.
(Remember we’re putting this in the oven too and we don’t want mushy veggies!)
Set filling aside to cool some.

Cut the pizza dough into 4 equal portions (or more if you want smaller pastys)
Roll each portion of dough into roughly 9×9 square
Place the dough onto your parchment lined baking sheet and fill with about 1/4 cup of the filling and 2 tablespoons of the cheddar cheese.
Paint the inside border of the dough with egg wash and close the dough, folding it across the filling.
Pat the dough and filling and try to squeeze out all the air in the pocket. Seal the pocket by pinching or crimping it with a fork.
Paint the outside of the pasty with egg wash and sprinkle with the leftover cheese

Place on middle rack of oven and bake for 12 minutes.
I made up a Mayo, lemon and tarragon mustard sauce to go with it.
Everyone ate this all up! The 12 year old of the house even ate his crust!

Basic Pizza Dough

2 packages dry yeast
1 ¼ cups very warm water
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
Add the yeast, water, honey and olive oil to the bowl of a stand mixer. Let the yeast sit for 7-10 minutes.

Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer, and add the flour a cup at a time until combined. Turn mixer on medium-high speed and mix with dough hook for 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.

Form dough into a ball and set in a warm spot to rise covered with a moist towel for 30 minutes.

Instructions by Neil Gaiman

Kathleen Rear

no comments

April 9, 2010

Illustrations by Charles Vess

One of my very favorite stories from Neil’s short story collection “Fragile Things” There’s some good advice here.
I especially love how the drawing moves from sketch, to coloring, to painting.
Here’s more Video on Neil’s site: Mouse Circus

Dinner Tonight: Beef Sauvignon

Kathleen Rear

3 comments

April 8, 2010


I can never find Burgundy wine. Maybe it’s the same thing? Maybe I’m not looking hard enough. Whatever the case, I’ve always used Cabernet Sauvignon in my version of Beef Bourguignon.

Let me tell you a secret about this classic French stew. It’s cheap eats. It’s what you want to have when you are pinching pennies as hard as you can. I made this for six people for $6.34 per person.
Also, this is a great seduce a man or impress the in-laws meal.

Beef Sauvignon

1 large (7-10 lbs) or 2 small: Beef Chuck Roast
10 rashers of Bacon
8-10 medium Carrots
1 large Sweet Onion
1 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
2 cups water
10 sprigs of Fresh Thyme
Salt & Pepper

Prep:
Cut up your roast into large chunks, about 1 1/2 inch cubes. Trim off most of the fat. Season the beef with salt and pepper. (I’ll let you decided how much)
Snip the bacon into 1 inch chunks.
Peel and dice the onion.
Peel and cut the carrots into 1 inch rounds
Wash and strip the leaves off the thyme.

Heat a heavy bottomed stew pot over medium high heat. Brown the bacon until crispy, then remove and set aside.
Brown the beef in small batches on all sides. You’re not going for fully cooked just a browned crust on the outside.
You should be developing a browned stuck on mess on the bottom of your pot. This is good. Yur doin it rite! If the bottom is getting black, turn down the heat your pot is too hot.
After all your meat is browned, place it on the plate with the bacon and set aside.
In go the diced onions. Saute on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes.
Turn up the heat to high for just a moment and then add about a cup of the Cabernet and scrape the bottom of the pot freeing the lovely browned bits and stirring them into the wine until dissolved.
Turn the heat back down to medium and toss in the carrots.
Toss back in the beef and bacon and stir everything together.
Add the rest of the wine. Yes, the whole bottle.
Add about 2 cups of water or enough to barely cover the meat.
Bring the stew to a boil, Then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover.
Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Skim the fat off the top of the stew every 1/2 hour or so.
If the finished sauce is not thick enough for your liking, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 or 3 tablespoons of water. Stir this mixture into the sauce. It’s cheating yes, yes I know!
Sprinkle the thyme over the top before serving with a nice baguette.

Art Is Everywhere: Water

Kathleen Rear

no comments

April 5, 2010

Featured artist: Me!
I set off to do a series of photographs of water.

And that was pretty good, but it occurred to me while shooting the water/food color sequence that what was important about this was the movement. So, I filmed it, enhanced the colors and then slowed it waaaay down.
It turned out pretty neat.


Also the “Water” Set on my flickr page

Spring Cleaning: Sewing Drawer

Kathleen Rear

no comments

April 2, 2010

I have a big redecorating project to gear up for. The kids are getting a new look in their rooms and so I’d better take a few minutes to clean out the sewing drawer.

It’s pretty bad you guys.
So, like before empty everything out of the space so you can take a good look at what you’ve got.

Yikes!

Group everything into one of three categories. Keep, Donate, or Trash. Then toss the trash and throw the donations into the trunk of your car right away, otherwise they will gather dust in the corner of your garage if you are like me.
Group the rest into piles of like objects.

Here’s a shot of my notions.
On to my fabric

Again, sorted by colors:

Ah! So much better! And, it only took me about 30 minutes.

You’ll note that the pillow stuffing didn’t fit back in, but, that’s ok I’m going to make pillows tonight anyway.
Now if it will only stay this way.

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Website Powered by WordPress.com.