Page 102 – From China Village

Holiday Wreath: Shells and Spruce

November 28, 2011

Finally, it’s holiday time! And I’ve got a super neat non-traditional wreath to share with you today while I get over my jet lag.

When I was in Maine over Thanksgiving, I made this wreath for my parents’ front door. They have the best front door for wreaths – a cheery red door on a big white porch. They always wrap the pillars in garlands and twinkly lights.

This wreath was a welcome addition this year. Shells and spruce in the shape of a narrow snowflake. So cheery!

Here’s what you’ll need:

big piece of cardboard
scissors
hot glue
100 shells (I used mussel shells)
evergreen boughs
twine

I collected 100 mussel shells from the East End Beach in Portland, rinsed them and dried them in the oven for 10 minutes on low heat. I drew a snowflake on a piece of cardboard, cut it out and hot glued the shells onto the cardboard. I just made sure to keep the shells flipped the same way and pointing out from the center of the snowflake shape.

Then I grabbed a few boughs of spruce, snipped them into 1 and 2 inch lengths, and used them to fill in all the spaces between the shells. I could have hot glued these in, but I was running out of hot glue and I had them wedged in pretty well.

Finally, I tied a piece of twine around the snowflake and hung it from the front door. That’s how easy.

My dad and brother were out surveying the snow from the porch while I was taking photos. Isn’t that snow stunning? I’m so glad I got a real wintry few days in Maine – but back to rain this morning in Dublin!

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A Happy, Healthy Thanksgiving

November 25, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

I have so much to be thankful for, on both sides of the ocean. Loving families, wonderful friends, and sweet readers who leave cheerful notes.

Wishing you happiness, health and time enjoyed with your loved ones today and for the rest of the weekend.

Here are a few peeks of our Thanksgiving table before the big meal!

Those old boards are the old floor in my parents’ barn. My dad pulled them out and dried them out with a heat gun (that man is collecting so many tools out there!), and cut them to fit the table. Then I traced out a leave shape and painted glittery champagne leaves. So simple laid over a makeshift green printed linen runner. Serene and happy, with lots of space for lively conversations across the table.

The glasses are a family heirloom given to my dad – they have all different birds and silver rims at the top. Perfect for Thanksgiving!

My mother has a collection of silver napkin rings of all different shapes and patterns. They looked lovely mismatched around the table with linen napkins.

I hope all you Americans (or ex-pats!) had a cozy day with your family. See you next week – I’ll be back on the other side of the ocean!

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Abstract Wall Art: Silver Living Room

November 23, 2011

A few nights ago I finished the artwork I was planning for my parents’ new living room. And they like it! Phew!

My parents live in an old farmhouse built in the 1820’s. They bought it when I was one, and have completely refurbished and refinished the whole thing, many times over. It has a huge barn (where they’ve graciously let me keep all the posessions I haven’t been able to bring to Dublin!) and old, slanty wooden floors where all the matchbox cars would end up when we were little.

My mother has filled the house with old pieces she found in junk stores and antique places over the years. I have vivid (if not fond) memories of summer days spent waiting at an old warehouse while she looked through hundreds of old wooden chairs. She has a great eye for finding pieces to refinish, paint, or reupholster. One day she proclaimed she would make a great criminal because, in the course of stripping the latest piece of furniture, she’d also managed to strip her fingerprints off!

My mom has also made every curtain, pillow case and duvet cover in their house. She caned the dining room chairs, and, with the help of my dad, tiled the bathroom floor and built a beautiful wooden bathroom counter when they couldn’t find exactly what they were looking for. My mother is a wonder woman when it comes to DIY and decorating.

That said, she is also a tiny bit particular. She painted the new living room three times before she was happy with the color. So when I offered to make a piece of artwork for one of the walls, I was a tiny bit nervous about finding the right color.

The room, mostly greys and silvers and neutrals, needed a color to brighten it up. But that color was proving difficult to find. We eventually landed on kind of a cinnamon/terra cotta. But not too orange, because it would clash with the pine floors, and not too pink because that would be too sweet.

You can understand why I was nervous.

But it all worked out, just in time for Thanksgiving!

Doesn’t it warm up the room? I’m thrilled they’re thrilled!

I’m off to enjoy the winter wonderland outside, but I’ll be back later to share a few things I learned while making the project. Overall lesson: It’s not as hard as it looks!

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First Meals on Back on American Soil

November 22, 2011

{welcome home from a sweet Design*Sponge sneak peek}

A few nights ago, my brother arrived home from Australia after spending the semester abroad there. His request for dinner the first night he was home? Lemon Chicken, a recipe (see below!) my mom has made for years, that includes heaps of marinated mushrooms, zucchini and chicken. He said living on his own in Sydney made him miss vegetables!

Just a week ago, when I arrived home from Dublin, my request for dinner was spaghetti squash. We always have it with roasted vegetables, pesto and parmesan. And I always request it because I can’t find spaghetti sqush in Dublin. I’m not even sure I really like spaghetti squash so much, but it drives me nuts that I can’t find it where I live! Plus, it’s a vehicle for all that other yummy stuff, which I always like.

{Editor’s update for my Irish readers: This is spaghetti squash – you whack it in half, roast it, then scoop out the insides. They’re just like spaghetti! A little bland, and perfect for topping with roasted veggies and cheese! Or you could top it with spaghetti sauce, just like regular spaghetti. Healthier and yum!}

These requests struck me as so unique and personal – and quirky! – so last night I got to wondering what other people might request. I know Michael always asks for my mom’s slow cooker barbecue pulled pork.

So what would you request if you’d been living away for a stretch? Or if you’d been cooking noodles and making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches like my brother in Australia for the last four months?!

Tell me, what’s the first thing you’d ask for?

Lemon Chicken

(serves 4, generously)

4 small zucchinis
2 packs button mushrooms (seems like a lot, but they cook down!)
4 chicken breasts
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp lemon zest
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp black pepper
3 garlic cloves

Slice and chop the zucchini, mushrooms and chicken breasts into
bite size pieces. Mix the remaining ingredients together and whisk
until most of the sugar is dissolved. Pour the lemon mixture over
the chopped vegetables and chicken, and let sit for a couple hours.

After marinating, pour the whole mixture into a baking pan or tray
and cook at 350 F/180 C for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is
cooked through and the zucchini softens. 

Serve hot over rice. Enjoy!

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Thanksgiving Table

November 21, 2011

It’s finally Thanksgiving week! I’m excited for lots of baking, decorating and planning here in Maine. My mom and I are going to work on a runner for the table this afternoon. Here’s hoping it goes well!

Last year, our table looked like this. But this year, I’m hoping for something more dramatic.

Who knows where we’ll end up, but here’s a little inspiration I’ve been saving. Enjoy!

{I quite like that old board – I’m sure we have one or two of those out in the barn!}

{I love the idea of these gold leaves, but I think they might drive me nuts to look through! Would be hard to have a conversation with someone if you couldn’t see them!}

{Now this one is really lovely and calm. But perhaps it could use a bright orange or red somewhere? And love the color of those chairs.}

{My dad and I found some berries down by the marsh we think we’ll cut and use for this year’s table. Well, he might not have instantly thought they’d be great for decorations, but he’s sure getting roped into cutting them down with me!}

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Someone Else’s Art

November 18, 2011

One of the cool things about writing this blog is that my family has started enlisting my help for art projects. Yesterday, I shared what my sister and I whipped up for her dining room, and now I’m brainstorming a big, dramatic piece for my parents’ living room.

Their living room makeover (going on six months now) was totally my fault when I was home last summer, so I’m feeling a bit more pressure than usual to find them something my parents will love! I just happened to make a teensy suggestion that they get rid of the enormous television unit that no longer housed their television – they had to upgrade their 1980’s dinosaur due to the high pitched screetch it made whenever you turned it on! Their upgraded TV no longer fit in the unit.

So, this smarty-pants opened her big mouth. Six months later, my mom has finally found a paint color she likes – a pretty, light slate gray – and new couches have just arrived. My dad even found her a Moroccan pressed metal table that looks so neat.

But what’s missing is some color. I think that’s where I come in. The pressure! Oh, and did I mention the space is huge? We decided on three 24×24 inch pieces. That is big.

Oh, and my parents have to like it – not just me! I keep having to remind myself of that!

I’m spending the day trying to narrow down a few options. Here are a few ideas I’m batting around at the moment.

So, what about something like this, but not like this. I’m thinking a different color scheme, and larger prints. These are just potato prints – so we could do any shape.

This is another idea from the talented Jordan at Oh Happy Day. I love the abstract, and the color scheme. The trick will be to make it look professional!

Here’s another option for abstract art – the piece on the right. I like that it’s a little more watery.

Or this! Looks terribly time consuming, and perhaps a little more complicated than I’m shooting for, but I love all this texture.

So, I really have no clue what direction we’re going. Hoping for divine inspiration sometime today!

Have you done any art projects lately? Do share, you quiet little readers! Happy weekend!

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Quick DIY: Confetti Wall Art

November 17, 2011

Good morning, everyone! Well, at least it’s morning in Maine! I wanted to share with you this quick project my sister and I whipped up a few nights ago for her apartment.

My sister lives in an old building in the East End of Portland. It’s such a cool spot – it’s actually in the same building that I used to live before I was married! The neighborhood is cool and friendly, and she can walk to work.

She’s been hard at work decorating and re-decorating, and she was looking for a quick, inexpensive way to liven up her dining room. (I have such space envy of her apartment – she has a dining room! Not a living room/dining room combo! Jealous!)

So we came up with this!

This was our inspiration. We didn’t have one of those circle cutters, so I was in charge of cutting out a ton of circles. Carolyn was in charge of making me dinner. Yum.

I laid them out on the kitchen floor to get a rough idea of where the dots were going to go. Then I used spray adhesive to stick them to the canvas. If we did it again, I’d use thicker paper and different spray adhesive. I wish I had the can from my studio in Dublin! Way easier to use!

But overall, it’s cheerful and festive for the holiday season.

What do you think? Cheery, right?

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Portland Architectural Salvage

November 16, 2011

Yesterday, my sister and I checked out Portland Architectural Salvage and were equally amazed and dismayed. First, it’s fabulous. There are four floors of neat finds – old printing press trays, more stained glass windows than you can count, mantles, metal pigs, and really cool industrial lights.

While it was really neat, it was also really expensive. Think $400 for something you’d be thrilled to find at a yard sale for $20. Which brings me to my next conclusion about the place: it takes the fun out of cool finds. Half the fun for me is the thrill that you’ve found something that’s a steal. If someone finds it for you? A little less fun.

I think Portland Architectural Salvage is probably a great place for people who have money but don’t have time. Or people who aren’t as ~~goofy~~ thrilled by the hunt for vintage pieces. But it is a really fun place to look around on a dark November afternoon.

{of course, we couldn’t resist goofing around a little!}

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Solve My Dublin Mystery

November 15, 2011

Good morning, lovelies! I’m spending a little more time catching up with family and friends in Maine today. So in the meantime, I thought you might have some ideas to solve my little Dublin mystery?

{This isn’t a photo of my mystery, but I thought it was a pretty spooky image. Find more by the photographer here.}

I’ve got a little mystery going on around my neck of the woods. I have thought and thought and thought and I just can’t figure it out. So I’m handing it over to you. I’d love your ideas since it’s driving me a little nuts!

About two miles from our house, on a street that lines the beach, there are a lot of fancy houses. They’re enormous, with sea views, and their driveways line up along this road. Most of the driveways have big, tall wooden gates, so you can’t see inside their grounds.

For the last month or so, there has been a camper van parked alongside the road. Day and night, the camper van is there. It’s usually running, and there’s always a guy sitting in the driver’s seat watching a monitor. The monitor has a feed from a video camera set up inside the gates of one of the houses. Last time I (nonchalantly) peeked, the video showed a dark SUV parked inside the gates.

One time, the man in the front seat hopped out as I was walking by and went to look at the gate. Then he just walked back to the van. I asked him what he was up to, but he just laughed and said, “What do you mean? I’m not up to anything at all!”

He had an Irish accent, so I don’t think he was a hired Polish hitman. But he had a billy club attached to his belt, was all dressed in black, and wore those lace-up combat boots.

So that’s the mystery. What the heck are they watching for? If they were security for the house, wouldn’t they be inside the gates so that if something happened, they could protect the people in the house? And if they were watching the people in the house, wouldn’t they pick a less conspicuous spot than right outside their driveway in a big camper van?

I’m stumped. Any ideas? I’d love to crack this one!

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Irish Snapshots

November 14, 2011

Happy Monday, friends! I’m spending a few weeks in Maine for Thanksgiving, so stay tuned for lots of fun posts from here! And a huge thank you to everyone who commented either here or on Facebook about last week’s Moving to Ireland series. What a fun week!

This might be one of the coolest websites I’ve seen in a long time.

I was poring over these images of Irish people from bygone decades for hours this morning. I love imagining what their lives were like!