CHOCOLATE COVERED PRETZELS

These pretzels were not originally in my plans for holiday snacks.  My husband likes to snack on pretzels in the evenings and I bought a case of organic pretzels to try them out.  This was an attempt to fall in line with the "real food" direction we are going for the rest of our diet.  I figured if he was going to eat something like pretzels - they should be the best quality ingredients we could find.  The pretzels were good, but my husband was not crazy about them as they have very little salt on them.

The brand of organic pretzels I used is "Newman's Own".  They provide a lot of other good organic products out there.  I'm delighted to see items from this brand at our local Publix.  Earthfare also carries some, but if all else fails - there is always the internet!  I ordered these from Amazon.

I decided I needed to do something with this large quantity of pretzels we now had on hand.  I had never made chocolate covered pretzels. I was surprised to hear it is recommended to add shortening to chocolate chips in order to do this!  I get that this is necessary to thin the chocolate down and also allow it to harden after dipping, but I couldn't bring my self to add shortening to the recipe for my chocolate covered pretzels.  It just seems unnecessarily bad for you, so I proceeded without it.  I used Ghirardelli's Milk Chocolate Chips.  (I would like to try this with the organic chocolate chips I can get at Earthfare, but I have not done this yet.)  It's easy to melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler over the stove. 

 

The chocolate is rather thick (because I refused to add the shortening), so dipping just 2/3 of the pretzel works out pretty good.  It also makes this process really easy because the undipped part of the pretzel serves as a sort of "handle".  This is much easier than trying to cover the entire pretzel, and trust me - there is plenty of chocolate covering the 2/3 of the pretzel (since the chocolate is so thick).

Immediately after dipping, I laid the pretzels down on cookie sheets lined with waxed paper (UPDATE 6-1-2015: I found that parchment paper works better as the wax on the waxed paper tends to melt when the hot chocolate touches it and it sticks to the cookie sheets.)  Next I sprinkled the pretzels with sea salt.   I found I can do about five in a row, and then sprinkle them with a bit of sea salt and the chocolate is still warm enough to easily take the sea salt.  NOTE - because these pretzels have so little salt - the sea salt is a nice addition and creates a nice contrasting flavor with the chocolate.  If you are working with a well salted pretzel to begin with - the sea salt might be a little much.

I put them in the garage to cool quickly and allow the chocolate to harden (I think the chocolate would have taken forever to harden if I had just let them sit at room temperature). Ultimately, I stored them in the refrigerator a tin with waxed paper (or parchment paper) between layers.  I'm honestly not sure how they would do sitting out at room temperature.  For us, this is a good thing, because if they were sitting out and easily accessible all the time, they wouldn't last a day in our house!

I'm not under the illusion that these are "good" for you, but in my mind, if you are going to splurge and have a sweet snack occasionally - use better ingredients like organic pretzels (a good way to avoid GMOs which are typical in any food with made from wheat), good quality chocolate (and possibly organic chocolate), and sea salt (instead of regular table salt).

BATHROOM ORGANIZATION

This guest bathroom in our beach cottage is rather small.  It is a functional three piece bathroom - (tub/shower, toilet & sink) however, the space is rather tight.  There is limited storage in the cabinet below the sink, but that is it.  I was looking for some way to store small items like TP and washcloths. 

The long narrow basket above the towel hooks was my solution.  I like this solution because it takes functional advantage of some unused space that might otherwise just provide a spot for something decorative.  It creates easy access to these items for guests (rather than having them dig through the cabinet).  I also like how it is easy for me to see when the items need to be re-stocked (I don't need to dig through the cabinet either).

The basket was purchased from Target and was labeled as a "media" basket.  It fits the two rolls of toilet paper perfectly as well as a few washcloths.   Two screws were used the adhere the basket to the wall (one into a stud, and a drywall anchor for the second screw).  The basket is very sturdy so this method of mounting it worked just fine.

Overall I like the way it looks and I'm happy to free up space in the cabinet below the sink!  I must thank Pinterest for the inspiration for this idea.  You can find all sorts of ideas out there for baskets and wall storage.  NOTE - the clothespins on the towels are "towel-charms".   They make it easy for guests to keep track of their towels.   See the my post on these towel-charms here.

For more beach cottage posts see my Beach Cottage page.

THE POWER OF A SIMPLE TOSS PILLOW

The bedrooms at our beach cottage were coming along nicely.  They seemed to be complete (Bed Linens, Furniture, Lamps, Assessories), but I couldn't help but think something wasn't quite right.  The beds are the obvious focal points in the room and I loved the cottage style quilts I had acquired for each room.  I decided toss pillows would serve to enhance the beds as focal points.

THE BLUE BEDROOM



This was a fun toss pillow as I had a chance to try out the "ragging" technique I had seen on items in local shops.  The inspiration for the color for this room came from the quilt found at Kohl's - a faded blue that reminded me of faded denim. So...some old denim would be ideal for a toss pillow.

 BEFORE

 

 AFTER - with toss pillow

 See Post here on the making of this pillow and the ragging technique.

THE YELLOW BEDROOM

I was concerned about the yellow quilt in this bedroom, especially since all the walls in the home were painted this pale yellow by Sherwin Williams (Lemon Chiffon).  My strategy was to fill the room with neutrals to counteract the bright color of the quilt and provide a sense of calm in the room.  the furniture, bedding and curtains were all either beige or white.  I knew I wanted the toss pillow to be in the same color scheme and I pictured a beige/white cabana stripe.  Surprisingly I had a tough time finding the fabric I had pictured in my mind.  I ended up finding what I wanted on ebay, and I think it works perfectly.

BEFORE

 

AFTER - with toss pillow 

THE AQUA BEDROOM

The aqua color of the quilts in this room is so pretty and compliments the barn wood headboards nicely.  With the quilts being a solid color and the shams being neutral with a subtle stripe - a patterned toss pillow seemed like an obvious choice.  However, I didn't want the pattern to be overwhelming - to me, the headboards still needed to be the star of the show.  I love this linen-like fabric from Hobby Lobby with the raised stitching.  The large scale of the pattern contrasts well the small ticking stripe of the shams, but I don't think it takes anything away from the headboards.

I'm still stuck on whether I need any sort of wall décor over the beds.  I've tried a few different things but didn't like them.  In my mind I'm thinking of something in a weathered-white finish.

BEFORE

 AFTER - with toss pillow

 

BEFORE

 

 AFTER - with toss pillows

MASTER BEDROOM

The toss pillow on our bed in the master bedroom was always a part of the bedding plan.  I found the two fabrics for the shams and the toss pillow sitting right next to each other at Hancock Fabrics.  The fishnet look of the toss pillow fabric is really neat.  I had already purchased this vase for the room (photo below) and they compliment each other nicely. 



Vase with similar pattern to toss pillow fabric

I had not found a quilt for the bed yet.  I felt that the fabric I had chosen for pillow shams was neutral enough to go with any quit I would find.  Fortunately, it worked out well.  The quilt is from Pottery Barn, but by the time I had found it - they were out of stock.  Fortunately - I found this one on Ebay (a good deal because it was NWOT - "New Without Tags").  The seller had a good rating and it was reasonably priced, so I decided it was worth it and I was not disappointed.

TOSS PILLOW TIP - Pillow forms can be expensive, especially if you are looking for something that is down filled.  Here is my tip - purchase pillows from the clearance section of Marshall's and TJMaxx.  I often find pillows where the covers are either damaged (torn, missing embellishments, etc...) or they are just plain not so pretty.  No worries - you are going to recover them anyway.  Look for pillows that have zippered covers so you can easily remove the cover and utilize the form underneath.  I have acquired some really nice pillow forms for almost nothing with this strategy!

For more beach cottage posts see my Beach Cottage page.

STAIRWAY ART - PALLET FRAME

We had lots of ideas about what to do with the stairway wall in our beach cottage.  I wanted to do something rustic and interesting...a collection of old shutters, or a few old wood window frames.  My husband, on the other hand, liked the idea of just an interesting framed picture - something "beachy" he said.  One way or another, I felt like something needed to be there, since it is a focal point when you walk in the front door.  The challenge was it also had to be practical and not cause an issue with anyone walking up and down the stairway; something that would not stick out too far and could handle light bumps and scrapes.


Blank Stairway Wall

So here is what we came up with - an old wooden pallet used as a frame for a photo printed on metal.

Pallet on Wall


HOW I PUT THIS PIECE TOGETHER . . .

While visiting family in Indiana, I saw a stack of these old white painted pallets at an antique store.  At first glance, I envisioned a collection of pallets on the wall, but after taking some measurements - it was clear they were larger than I originally thought and just one would be fine.  At $10 a pallet - this plan was worth a shot.  It would be durable since it was already weathered and chipping, and it would not encroach too much on the stairway space.

Pallet picked up at antique store

With some more thought - my husband and I talked about making it into a frame.  We considered cutting out the middle to make it a literal "frame" around a picture, but then I came across photos printed on brushed metal from Shutterfly.  It's a new product and I figured this would be perfect - we could mount it right on top of the pallet (no cutting of the pallet required), and the metal print is thin and completely durable!

The photo was taken in Marco Island, Florida, by my husband's uncle Art.  Art took the photo the weekend of our beach wedding, and it has always been one of my favorites collected from our guests.  I just love the colors, the composition, and the simplicity of it.  Just a great shot, with a lot of great memories connected to it!

Photo taken by my husband's uncle Art

NOTE:  Always test for lead paint when working with something that could have been from prior to the 1978 time frame.  Lead paint test kits can be purchased from hardware stores and big box stores.  If there is lead paint, do your research on how to handle it safely and make sure you understand the proper way to dispose of any chipped paint or dust.

The pallet needed some cleaning up.  I scraped a lot of loose paint off with a metal scraper and some very light sanding.  I used 80 grit sandpaper for the purpose of releasing the remainder of the big chips of paint.  The pallet also needed some structural reinforcing.  While transferring it from the car - one of the slats came loose from the base.  It was a good reminder to reinforce the whole pallet.  I added screws through the back of the pallet base to give some extra support to all the slats on the front.

Additional Screws added on back of pallet for structural reinforcement

I coated the entire pallet with three generous coats of acrylic polyurethane.  The sides/edges of pallet ended up getting six coats (since I covered the sides when putting the three coats on both the front and three coats on the back).

Close up of chipped paint on pallet



Close up of chipped paint on pallet

The metal print from Shutterfly included hardware on the back for hanging.  I used the template provided to help provide the placement for two short screws to hang the piece in the middle of the pallet.

Since this is a somewhat heavy piece - I purchased D-ring hangers from Lowes to put on the back of the pallet, and hoped to be able to hang these on screws/hangers that have been drilled into studs.  When the pallet was centered on the wall - we were able to use two D-ring hangers screwed into the back of the pallet and two large nails hammered into studs on the wall.

The final solution to our stairway art was a great compromise between our two ideas.  Overall, we ended up with a rustic piece for me, and my husband got a great "beachy" photo on the wall.  Funny how things just seem to work out!  :o)

If you like the look of the white spindles with the stained brown banister railing - check out my banister transformation post.  The banister was originally stained all dark brown.  Painting those spindles white really made a big difference in making this element work better with the cottage style of the space.  See post here for a good before and after view.

Here are links to some other rustic pieces for the walls of our beach cottage:

BARN DOOR WALL ART
BOAT OARS - WINDOW HARDWARE
GARDEN GATE WALL ART
BEACH SIGN
BOAT OARS - WALL DECOR
BARN WOOD DIVE FLAG


For more beach cottage posts see my Beach Cottage page.







RING HOLDER - TREE BRANCH

I really needed someplace to put my wedding rings on the bathroom counter of our beach cottage.  The granite we had picked out for the countertops was beautiful, but small items disappeared from view when you set them down on the surface.  I could see myself inadvertently knocking my rings into the sink and down the drain.  I was looking for a cute little plate or an actual "ring holder", but nothing really grabbed me that was worth buying.

One day my husband and I were trimming the trees in our backyard.  As I was chopping up large branches into smaller pieces - this piece caught my eye.  Looking at the nubs left from trimming the branches I thought - "Hey - that could be a ring holder!"

In initially tried silver spray paint, but it wasn't quite the right silver (I had used some leftover paint I had from a while back).  It looked strange next to the brushed nickel hardware on the faucets.  After seeing it in the space - a high gloss white spray paint was my next try...

This branch definitely does what I need it to do, and the best part is that it was free!  Between the found branch and leftover spray paints - it didn't cost me a thing. woo-hoo!

 

 

For more beach cottage posts see my Beach Cottage page.

PAINT DISTRESSING TECHNIQUES - SANDPAPER, CANDLEWAX, VASELINE

The purchase of our beach cottage prompted my interest in painted and distressed furniture.  I had very little experience with this process, but big dreams about reviving thrift store and Craig's List pieces of furniture.  I had a lot to learn, which I soon realized when I got started.  Overall, it was fun to get a chance to learn something new and get to apply it in so many different ways.  This is a summary of my experience with these three methods over the past year.

SANDPAPER

CANDLEWAX

VASELINE

These three methods can be used to create a weathered/distressed look when painting.  Most of this information can be found within my individual posts for each project, but I decided a summary might be helpful for anyone looking for some general direction and advice.  I'll start with the pro's and con's of each technique...

SANDPAPER

Provides a good look but takes some elbow grease to sand the paint down to the next level.  This works on flat surfaces if you want a slightly scraped weathered look.   If you want to weather corners and edges - using just sandpaper is possible, but note that candlewax will make the process easier.  When you use sandpaper alone - you run the risk of weathering right past a layer you are trying to expose.  Sandpaper alone is not a good choice if you are trying to achieve a chipped paint look exposing multiple layers of paint.

When using just sandpaper to distress, I wait until my piece is really dry.  If the piece is still slightly wet, you might end up messing up your piece.   Depending on the look you want, you can use any grit of sandpaper, I would recommend starting with a lighter grit (120 or less) and moving to heavier (80 or more) if you are not getting the results you want.  Once I'm finished distressing, I typically finish my pieces off with a final coat or two of clear acrylic polyurethane if I am concerned about durability.

Here are some of my projects where I used sandpaper to do some weathering...



The flat surface weathering was done here with just sandpaper.  Note - candlewax was used to create the letters and it ws used on the edges/corners of the plaque. (See link to post here)



Sandpaper was used to weather this barn wood sign.  It worked particularly well because of the texture of the barn wood.  (See link to post here)

Nightstand distressed with sandpaper.  (See link to post here)




Dive flag made from barn wood and distressed with sandpaper.  (See link to post here)



Old Cola Crate painted and then sanded with sandpaper  (See link to post here)




Chairs finished with a drift wood inspired painted finish with a light sanding to expose bare wood underneath.  (See link to post here)

 

CANDLEWAX

A great option for weathering and exposing corners and edges.   It is MUCH easier to remove paint with sandpaper if candlewax is applied prior to painting.  The candlewax does a great job of preventing the paint from adhering to the surface, and it is easily scraped/sanded off.  This is ideal for subtle distressing and tends to look more weathered than chipped.  The application of candlewax is very easy, as you can simply focus on edges and corners and scratches and dents.  If you want to have a more chipped paint effect - Vaseline is a better way to go.

Start with a base layer.  This can be bare wood, stained wood or paint.  To do this technique, take any old candle (I choose to use cream or white just so there aren't any issues with colors you don't want on your finished piece).  Rub the candlewax on any surface where you will want the base layer exposed (corners, edges, cracks, dents, any area you want).  Paint over the entire surface of your piece and let dry.  Use sandpaper to remove the paint where you applied the candlewax.   I typically finish my pieces off with a final coat or two of clear acrylic polyurethane if I am concerned about durability.


CANDLEWAX TIPS

1. Don't be afraid to apply enough candlewax.  If I'm going over corners - I try to "over do it" onto the edges a little bit for a more visibly noticeable weathered effect, otherwise you might be disappointed.
2. Use old pieces of sandpaper when weathering a piece after using candlewax - the sandpaper becomes gooped up with paint and candlewax and you will likely need to throw these pieces away.
3. If you don't want any inadvertent scratches on the remaining paint - be careful to just sand the areas where the candlewax was applied (although, sometimes these scratches can add more character).  

Here are some of my projects where I used candlewax to do some distressing...



Dresser distressed using candlewax primarily on edges and corners.  (See link to post here)





Wall plaque with letters created using a paper stencil and candlewax.  (See link to post here)



 

Bar stools distressed using candlewax.  (See link to post here)




Nightstands distressed using candlewax on corners and onto flat surfaces to create a pretty weathered effect.  (See link to post here)

 

 

Candlewax used on light distressing of media table.  (See link to post here)

 

 

VASELINE

A great option for a chipped paint technique.  This method takes some getting used to if using a lot of Vaseline on areas and brushing paint overtop (see tips below on this process).  It's a little messy.   Vaseline is really the way to go if you are trying to expose multiple layers of paint.  Be sure you have a good distressing plan to avoid it looking too contrived.

Start with a base layer.  This can be bare wood, stained wood or paint.  With a small to medium sized artist brush, apply Vaseline to the areas where you wish for the base layer to be exposed.  Next, paint over the entire surface of your piece.  Note that where the Vaseline is - the paint will look messy and goopy - that's OK - just leave it - this will help you know where to scrape off the paint later.   Let the paint mostly dry.  Use a plastic scraper to remove the paint where you applied the Vaseline.  You can also go over these areas lightly with sandpaper.   Your piece will feel a little greasy after scraping off the paint from the residual Vaseline.  Clean up with a little all-purpose cleaner before doing any more layers of paint or polyurethane.  If you are doing multiple layers of different colored paint - simply keep repeating this process.  I typically finish my pieces off with a final coat or two of clear acrylic polyurethane if I am concerned about durability.

VASELINE TIPS

1. Apply the Vaseline with a small to medium sized artist brush.
2. If you are brushing on paint over Vaseline - be prepared for the paint on top of the Vaseline to look goopy and messed up.  Know that it's OK - leave it that way.  Resist the temptation to try to smooth it out - you are going to scrape off this paint anyway.  Furthermore - that goopy look will later help you identify what you need to scrape off.
3. After using Vaseline on a piece it will feel a little greasy/slimy.  I recommend going over your piece with a little all purpose cleaner and a wipe with a cloth rag.  This is important if you are going to apply additional coats of paint for distressing (more Vaseline can be applied to focused areas after cleaning up the piece to prepare for the next coat of paint).  It is also important if you are applying a coat of polyurethane.
4. Use a plastic scraper when removing paint for the Vaseline technique.  A metal scraper can tend to scratch where you don't want it to.

Here are some of my projects where I used Vaseline to do some chipped paint looks...




Distressed chest of drawers created with both Vaseline and candlewax.  (See link to post here)



End table heavy distressed with Vaseline as well as candlewax.  (See link to post here)

GENERAL MISTAKES TO AVOID

1. If you are trying to expose a wood stain as a base coat - and if you have to do some sanding to prepare for painting (to rough up a top coat of polyurethane) - be sure to sand lightly in order to avoid going all the way down to the bare wood.
2. Also, if you are trying to expose wood stain and have mistakenly sanded down to bare wood in some areas (don't worry) - just place candlewax or Vaseline on the stained areas (rather than bare wood) so the stained areas will be exposed with your distressing (rather than bare wood).
3. Distressing Plan - If you are doing heavy distressing - don't make what I call the leopard print mistake (a bunch of small areas of distressing placed over the entire area of your piece).  It will look very silly and contrived.   A good plan - distress edges and corners, distress existing scratches/dents and imperfections, if you want to create large areas (example with Vaseline to create large areas of chipped paint - pick a few large areas to distress.  See this post on my experience with heavy distressing.

What NOT to do when distressing - "the leopard print mistake".  See a better example of distressing here.

GENERAL TIPS

1. Test the paint techniques on small scrap pieces.  It's worth the time to help you understand how these different techniques work, and do a test run of paint colors.
2. I'm a big fan of using Lowe's paint samples - they are only $3 each - and you can have them mix any custom color you want.  Note - The Valspar samples only come in Satin Latex.
3. If you are doing heavy distressing and focusing on large areas - I have found using chalk to mark out your distressing plan on a piece is very helpful.  It can identify your areas of distressing and can easily be wiped off after candlewax or Vaseline has been applied.
4. Use the existing scratches and dents on a piece to your advantage.  Focus on these areas for some distressing.  Real scratches or dents don't look manufactured or contrived like some faux distressing.

All of the posts found above (and more) can be found on my Beach Cottage page.