Yummy Monday

Blackberry Cobbler with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

In my neck of the woods it's blackberry picking season. Here is a delicious alternative use besides the usual jams and jellys.  Happy Baking...

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

(No Not Christmas)

  by  timlewisnm 

My favorite season is upon us! YARD SALE SEASON!!  I need a bumper sticker that reads Caution I Brake for Yard Sales. My husband and kids will forever have whiplash due to sudden stops all in the name of a good bargain!  Today I'm extra giddy in preparation for what me and my fellow yard sale ladies refer to as the Black Friday of yard sales. Hopefully you have one of these in your area as well. What I'm talking about is a city wide yard sale. A town coordinates a specific weekend in which residents haul out their unwanted crap so that crap hunters like me can buy it! I'm doing a happy dance just thinking about the bargains I will find!  For the new comers to the full day yard selling extravaganza I have put together some Dos and Don'ts so that you can maximize your bargains and fun!

  by  paalia 

Do's
Wear comfortable shoes. I can not stress this enough!  If your tootsies get sore you will be miserable.  You don't want to miss a great bargain because you were worried about your feet.

  by  guzzphoto 

Plan and Strategize. Get a Map.

In my area the town provides maps indicating where registered yard sales are located. Residents selling during the event are usually asked to registered their yard sale prior to the event. This allows you the opportunity to see which neighborhoods have the most action as I call it. Also be advised that these areas usually have little parking and are generally congested. I suggest finding a parking spot and walking.
Be aware that not everyone registers their yard sale.

Bring your own shopping bags. I suggest bringing plastic shopping bags ( to wrap breakables in) and reusable shopping bags to carry the bulk of your purchases.

Bring cash and change. I know this seems obvious, but I have seen it a hundred times... "Can you break a $50" umm No! Bring small bills and change. It will save you time. 

Don'ts
Show up late. Most yard sales start around 8:00 a.m. Start scooping out streets starting around 7:00 a.m. . Sometimes people will even let you look early. Don't start yard selling around noon and expect to find a lot of great deals. Remember "The Early Bird Gets the Worm"!

Be afraid to ask for a better price. This all depends on the type of person you are. Personally I pay full price if I think its fair. If I think it's overpriced and I really want it I try to offer less. Some people won't budge on their prices, but the majority will come down some on an item. Never hurts to ask.

Judge a book by it's cover. The same applies with yard sales. You never know what treasure you may find.

Overlook items that can be repurposed. I always think "can I spray paint that? or Can I use that for this instead of it's original purpose?" Listen to your inner DIYer voice!

  by  j.sanna 

Overlook Sunday Afternoon Yard Sales. This is the exception to my Don't Rule of showing up late. Often you can get better bargains on Sunday afternoon yard sales, because sellers don't want to be stuck with putting items away. They want to get rid of their crap!

I hope these tips help. Hopefully you find some amazing deals. Ill share my amazing deals with you on Monday. Happy Yard Selling!

Dilema: Exterior Paint Colors

Hello everyone,  I'm starting this week trying to solve a problem that I have been dealing with for over a year. It is probably one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make.....
 (is the suspense building?)  CHOOSING AN EXTERIOR HOUSE COLOR.
 I know I'm a little dramatic, but this is a serious issue in the Wallpapered Rooster household and my husband is ready to kill me! I have chosen and made my mind up at least a dozen times, only to wake up the next day with a completely different color combination in mind. The problem is I'm a teeny bit uptight about things (shocking I know) but I digress. The problem boils down to the number of  beautiful color combinations .  I also feel somewhat obligated to keep the house in the "farmhouse" paint scheme.
 I love white farmhouses

                  
  by  thisreidwrites 

 but,... my home is currently white and I want something different.
I also like yellow farmhouses

                  
  by  pasa47 

but,... I feel like that can be too feminine. 

Along the way there has been tan, blue, gray and even dark green paint chips and samples that have been tried and vetoed in our paint color search. 
I have even resorted to house stalking.  If you are unfamiliar with house stalking it is the act of creeping by a house that you adore for various reasons all in the hope of one day mimicking said house. I not only house stalk to admire paint colors, but also gardens, playhouse, and beautiful front porches. . I am always tempted to knock on their door and introduce myself as the crazy DIY lady that I am, but I always chicken out. So I resort to taking pictures instead. 

I know I'm cuckoo!

Recently I have  resorted to online house stalking.  This has produced a couple more candidates to add to the veto pile. Until just recently I discovered something wonderful on one of my favorite blogs. 
 The Lettered Cottage posted this beaut.

Layla from The Lettered Cottage went through the same exterior paint dilemma.  She sought out inspiration from the homes in her neighborhood but she had an insider who knew some of the paint colors. As you can see from her blog the house colors from the last house are:

The body is-Prescott Green (Benj Moore HC-140
Trim-Simply White  (Benjamin Moore OC-117)
 Shutters- Black Forest Green(Benjamin Moore RME-46)
Ceiling- Palladian Blue  (Benjamin Moore HC-144)

The wonderful yellow doors color was unknown, but I would suggest-  
                   Pure Joy (Benjamin More 327)

I love the soft green body, I feel like its similar to white, but more updated. The same can be said for the Black Forest Green (and updated black). The Palladian Blue on the porch ceiling screams Southern home.  The yellow door... oh that yellow door makes me swoon.  So all in all I'm getting all of my favorite things (insert Julie Andrews voice here).  I'm getting an updated version of the white farmhouse (which I love) and I'm still getting my "black shutters" and... I'm getting the yellow I love only it's on my front door! A little girly touch won't hurt anyone.  So we will see if this paint pallet makes it onto my home. Lets hope for my husbands sake it does! Thanks for reading. Enjoy.


P.S. Do you have a favorite exterior color combination you would like to share? If so leave me a comment. 

Picture Frame Makeover

Ugly Picture Frames Beware!

If any of you are like me you  have tones of ordinary run of the mill picture frames around your house. Most have great photos or art work in them, but almost all have ordinary frames and white photo mats. Well I'm here to change that! Today I'm going to show you how to change ordinary into extraordinary (cheesy I know, but fun). Here is what you will need.

Ugly, outdated, or just plain ordinary picture frame
acrylic or spray paint
scrapbook paper
glue
scissors
tape
awesome photo or art

Step One: Sand and Paint Your Picture Frame. 
          I sanded my picture frame because it was made out of plastic, so I needed some grit for the paint to adhere to. My frame was painted using acrylic paint, because that is what I had on hand. I would suggest using spray paint, because it is much easier, quicker and more effective to use. 

Step Two: Updating Your Photo Mat

          If you already have a photo mat with your frame you simply want to cover it with your chosen scrapbook paper. You accomplish this by gluing your scrapbook over top of your white photo mat and cutting an X with your scissors or exacto knife in the square of your  photo map. This will give you four triangles that you simply fold back and glue to the backside of your photo mat. Tape your photo in place. 

Step Three: Place Glass and Photo Mat in Updated Frame and Hang.

SHABAM! A super cute and updated picture frame for the cheap price of... $0 dollars.  Completed with items I already had. DIY success! Happy Crafting

Flyswatter Art

Hi Ya'll,  
If you live on the east coast as I do you probably spent the day sweating your tushy off!  Today  I had the kids do Flyswatter Art, and I thought I would share. WARNING (dun dun dun) this is a very messy/super fun project, but you can spray your kids off  with the garden hose when they are done, so with the heat this equals a HUGE win win! For this fun craft you need

Tempera Paint (washable)- as many colors as you would like.

paper plates- 1 for each color of paint. 

1 flyswatter

White paper

1 bucket of water

1 roll of paper towels. 

At least one bored and miserably hot child

This craft is best done outside.

First you want to lay your paper plates out (one plate for each color). Squirt a good amount of paint in each plate.

Next lay your blank piece of paper on a table or sidewalk.

Dip your flyswatter into a color of your choice and........ SLAP THE PAPER!!!! (I thought the table was going to break at one point.. kids LOVE it).

Dip your flyswatter into different colors and continue. BE CREATIVE...

 When your done simply place the flyswatter in the bucket of water to rinse. 

Hang your Flyswatter Art up to dry. These paintings make beautiful art work for your home. Put your kids creativity on display! Have fun, and Happy Swatting...