I Dare You To Eat It

Over the past year, friends have asked me to share some less expensive design tips. We’re in the middle of doing some remodeling in our own home, so I thought I would begin by sharing this little drapery trick, quickly, before I give the valances to my contractor. The design concept behind the look is fairly sweet and grandmotherly. Both my mother and grandmother lived in this neighborhood so when we bought the house I was thinking of them. While the combination of traditional fabrics with lace speaks Tudor cottage, the overall treatment could easily be reinterpreted as transitional or contemporary by simply using exaggerated graphic prints or bold solids. (Wow. I sound like an idiot.)

The first step was to buy stock shelving and wrap it with fabric. Most home stores will cut lumber to specific lengths without an extra charge, and I think I only used about three yards of clearance fabric for wrapping those five boards.

I used masking tape and then a staple gun to secure the material on the back side. Placing the valance board right above the window casing gave at least another 12″ to the visual height of my windows. 

It also gave added support which was needed as we drilled one screw each into the original lathe and plaster walls. (Don’t get me started.)

Completely avoiding the cost of expensive hardware was another easy way to save money on this deal.

The unconstructed swag sections from a discontinued Scalamandre cabbage rose print were only self-lined, approximately double length cuts, which I bundled in the center and on both ends. This is one of those steps where you mess with it, and mess with it, and mess with it, until it looks like it JUST HAPPENED!

It’s fitting that I took this picture on the floor…because that’s exactly where I made them. I didn’t know how long they should be so I folded my fabric in half lengthwise, twice, knowing I could produce two lined scarves from each width, and experimented with gathers and swags until I found the drape I was trying to achieve. Then I measured it, cut multiples, and with one seam, sewed the long strips into tubes. The actual construction part of the process only took about 30 minutes and then I carefully hand stitched the ends closed and sewed little ties for the top edge.  The fabric bundles secured by another band of fabric tied in a square knot made a nice little Fleur-de-Li’s finish. Oh, and under the knots, keeping the fabric perfectly bundled (phfft), I originally used rubber bands. But after about six months I learned that rubber bands petrify and fall apart so I had to switch them out for the plastic covered wire twist-ties from my box of trash bags. Nice. 

Next, I added three tiny cup hooks to the valance boards (you can just barely see it shining at the very top of the middle corner) and attached the knots by hooking them under the twist-ties.

I’ve had my drapery people produce this same look with nice results for a few clients, in a couple of states. Besides topping the windows in kitchen dining and family rooms, this treatment has worked well to decorate over a slider or pair of French doors, as long as the swags don’t hang down too low.

For us, this window treatment is now officially a happy memory. I hope it gave you some new ideas!

When I was a teenager, I thought that the notion of disguising your food storage as furniture was totally nuts. Now it seems totally normal. Not sure what that says about me. Don’t really care.

But I was thinking that it might be fun, and only slightly useful, to share the wacky ways we, meaning you and I, have ‘used’ our food storage. I’ll go first. This story is titled: THE BIG ONE THAT GOT AWAY

Last summer I did the design work on a 3,300 square foot basement playroom. Yup! One of the very first ideas I pitched to the client was to use her food storage cases, spread out in an area about 21′ x 17′, as the support structure for a STAGE. (Warning: Even in my interior design business I try to encourage investing in food storage. This client doesn’t happen to currently use her food storage, as in cook with it, but she has it, and that’s the first step.) Catching my design vision/version of “if you build it they will come”, she agreed to the idea of the stage but opted to have a contractor build the structure, sans case. BUT IT WOULD HAVE WORKED! I’m sure of it.

Next, and not nearly as grand, I’ve helped two of my daughters use their food storage hand-me-down cans and cases of wheat, as the supports for their new upholstered headboards. (Originally from Thomasville for $935.00, I salvaged the headboards for only $50.00 each. More on that later. See, this post is also about me trying to dip my big toe into the requests for sharing provident living interior design tips. Aaarg!) At first the girls thought they would have to pay someone to build the connection-contraption but I suggested that they first experiment with using their extra food storage. Worked like a charm!

 Anywho! That’s what we did and we’re not ashamed. Now tell us your story.

And here we have the lovely bride! (Duston Todd Photography)

Her wedding dress was from J.Crew for only $395.00. (Obviously not the dress we originally planned to have sewn, but still a good deal.) Samantha added a lace top underneath to help the dress be a bit more modest. That’s the way we roll. I can’t post a picture of the lace top because it appears to have sold out. Anyway, you get the idea. It’s this dress, with a little custom detailing layered underneith for coverage, and yes warmth. Brrrrrrr January weddings.

Every month my visiting teaching companion, Angela, and I try to visit Susan. We’re all busy gals and it doesn’t always work, but I’m pretty sure that Susan knows we care, because we show up on her door step, on a regular basis. Sometimes we bring a little lesson or gospel message to share and sometimes we just chat. We’re really good at that. I hope Susan can feel our admiration, respect, and friendship. She’s an amazing woman.

Almost 20 years ago, Susan’s son Tim suffered a terrible spinal column injury when he dove off the back of a boat at Lake Powell. Tim is doing well, but his life is forever changed in a big way, and so is Susan’s. In addition to being a wife, mother, and grandmother, today she owns a tennis clothing business at a pro shop, coaches the girl’s tennis team at the local Catholic high school, AND dedicates hundreds of hours to her volunteer work at local hospitals. She’s amazing and I’m lucky to know her.

With all Susan has going, it was way beyond the call of duty when she agreed to assist my daughter with one of her projects for school. Rosie is applying to the broadcast journalism program at BYU and needed to produce a little news spot. I was with Mike on a business trip in San Diego when the filming was done but Rosie told me that Susan was friendly, patient, enthusiastic, and totally willing to help. That’s Susan, in a nut shell.

And this is what I really like about visiting teaching. It’s an organized system for encouraging women to connect with each other. It helps us reach out, expand our circle of friends, and build bridges of love and support, three women at at time.

This time Susan blessed my life. I hope it will be my turn to do something for her, next.

Here’s the YouTube link for ”Rosemary Card and Dr. Dog” if you would like to see what I’m talking about. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdpJjzzi6Lg

Right at the first of the year there was an AOL bit on how to serve inexpensive meals. Did you see it? I thought it was very interesting that AOL’s big money saving suggestion for 2010 was to simply prepare meals using rice, beans, pasta, and potatoes. Honestly made me happy to read, and smile only a bit to think that modern day prophets of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been suggesting the   

exact    

same     

thing,

FOR DECADES!

They believe basic staples like wheat, rice, beans, pasta, potatoes, oats, etc. are important enough to build dry-pack canneries across the United States and Canada so that members may can their own dry goods, acquire a stable long-term food supply, and do it as economically as possible. The LDS church is into helping people help themselves. I like that.

So here’s a shoddy shot of the dry-pack cannery on Welfare Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. I think it looks like money where your mouth is.

This next view is from the inside of the canning room. The cans, canning machines, boxes, bins, lids and labels complete with nutrition information, are all there and ready to go. Spotless too. They are NOT messing around when it comes to cleanliness.

You’ll easily be able to work the sealers at the dry-pack cannery. If you have questions there are always service missionaries on hand who are more than happy to demonstrate and teach the few basic steps. If you’re not a member of the LDS church, try asking one of your Mormon neighbors/friends/co-workers to take you on a little field trip.

I also think it’s interesting to know that Brigham Young University is continuously conducting food storage research. If you would like to share in their current project, please visit: http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/58457/BYU-wants-samples-of-vegetable-oil-from-food-storage.html

Near the end of last year I was contacted by a very sweet Grandmother after she attended one of my food storage presentations. She asked how many CASES of books I had on hand and if she could get a discounted price on a large quantity purchase. Of course I said YES and as we made the exchange on a busy street in the heart of Salt Lake City, it felt a tiny bit like a drug deal, but neither one of us looked the part. Thanks to her, and in celebration of the year 2010, I have a special offer for group purchases of the book.

PURCHASE TEN BOOKS AND I WILL SHIP YOU TWENTY!

So that’s 20 for the price of 10. Get it? 2010!

(I’m nothing without a theme.)

P.S. If you would rather not use PayPal, please send me an email so that we can try to make other arrangements for payment. And thank you friends! I really appreciate your efforts in helping more people learn how easy it is to build and use food storage.

Last Saturday, we celebrated up in the mountains at our family cabin, an early birthday for daughter number 5. Amazing as it sounds, we actually served 16 teenagers two meals made primarily from food storage.

For lunch we enjoyed BBQ chicken sandwiches, MAC N’ CHEESE, veggies w/ RANCH, grapes, CHIPS, and oven baked S’MORES.

Trust me on this one. The little bit of salt on the Ritz crackers makes all the difference.

It only takes about 5 minutes to toast these li’l pups in a hot oven and when they’re done the chocolate will be completely melted and the tops golden brown. Simple perfection and guaranteed to be gone in a flash.

Sooo good that we eventually ran out of the Hershey’s chocolate and HAD TO move up to the Christmas truffles someone left behind. We had to.

Not just for breakfast any more!

For dinner, and after the girls had spent hours outside playing in the snow, we all enjoyed what has become a family trademark. Rice and beans is a tried-and-true-crowd-pleasing-meal that’s easy to prepare ahead of time and costs pennies to serve. I would have taken a shot of the finished product but for the feeding frenzy. You already know what a taco salad looks like and this is basically the same deal, without the lettuce. Picture a serving of hot rice, topped with warm black beans, grated cheese, our favorite pico de gallo, sour cream, diced avocado, and sometimes sliced black olives.

I did hear of one comment where a cute friend said, “That’s sick. I don’t know why…

(wait for it)

(and remember, from the mouths of babes)

…EVERYONE…LIKES…IT…SO…MUCH.”

Ha! I’m totally okay with that.

So Happy Birthday Lizard! Your wacky friends made it a great party and once again, our food storage helped us do a bit more, for a bit less.

In 2010, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, (worldwide) are encouraged to study the Old Testament. It’s something “we” do every four years and I love it.

Normally, on the first Sunday in January, a class member study guide is distributed. That small detail somehow fell through the cracks in my home ward this year. And speaking of cracks, I don’t love lighthearted remarks about no one ever reading the lessons. I KNOW LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO READ THE LESSONS! 

For me, being on the same page, is one of the most important goals I make at the beginning of each new year. Regardless of where I happen to be serving on Sunday, diligent study of the Gospel Doctrine lesson during the week is the opportunity I take, within the privacy of my own home, to kneel at the Savior’s feet, begin with prayer, turn to the holy scriptures, and learn from His beautiful teachings.

I try to dedicate an hour a day, but already my record for this year isn’t perfect. Sticking to the goal is especially tough when that one hour comes super early, like 4:30 and 5:00 A.M. Using the study guide helps greatly to direct my study path so that blurry eyes and a foggy brain have specific directions and organized lessons to follow.

Now, after making a special run to the Distribution Center for my own class member study guide, I’m armed and dangerous! Pffft. My plan is to follow the suggested reading and take lots of notes along the way. My crisp new booklet will soon enough look like it’s owned by a gang member, but all the underlining, arrows, and messages scribbled in the margins mean everything to me.

If you need help obtaining your own study guide, just say the word. It’s sure to be a great year!

Such tender illustrations, and certainly worth five minutes.

With great sensitivity, this artwork depicts the beauty of the message in The Book Of Mormon,

“…that Jesus is the Christ,

the Eternal God,

manifesting himself unto all nations–”

http://www.anothertestamentofchrist.com

Merry Christmas, friends.

Exactly one year ago today, the Franklin Covey company completed the printing of my book, I Dare You to Eat It. They were right on time, possibly a bit ahead of schedule. When does that happen? After two long years of work, overwhelmingly more difficult than I ever expected, having the finished product completed and in my hands, on December 10th, felt like a GIFT!

Thank you, thank you to all the great people who have been wonderfully supportive on this project! Your letters and comments have meant everything to me. The invitations to give food storage presentations have been amazing opportunities. I’ve learned from your suggestions and been inspired by your good examples. I’ve loved hearing about your food storage challenges and successes. I’ve especially loved hearing that you get it now, understand how easy it can be, and you’re experiencing the tangible blessings of provident living.

In appreciation for a terrific year, I would like to make a special anniversary sale offer. Beginning now and continuing until the end of December 2009, I will make sure that two books are shipped for every one that is purchased through this website. (That means half price!) Just place the order and pay as you normally would but know that an additional book will be shipped for each one ordered.

Thank you again and Merry Christmas!

Liesa