Friday, September 30, 2011

Ginger Root Tea

 Dear friends,
 Fall is here at last and so is cold season! I want to share a little recipe with you all to get you through cold and flu season.

~*~

Last year I was coming down with several colds in a row. I was tired of taking a ton of over the counter medicine and yet my colds were never  getting better. 

My Mom's friend, Kelly, gave me this recipe that she swore by!  I have been using ginger root tea to ward off colds ever since! I call it my miracle cure, my father~in~law calls it my witches brew. Either way it works!

Ginger is strong and spicy but it's also very calming and soothing. It's not for everyone but I find the aroma just lovely!


~*~

Ginger Root Tea ~

2 inch Fresh Ginger Root

4 Cups of Water

Lemon and Honey to taste

* I have also started adding Green Tea for a stronger flavor ~ Other than loose leaf Green Tea, Salada Green Tea is by far my favorite and I always have it on hand.


First wash the ginger root, cut your two inch piece and then peel the outer covering. Peeling is not necessary if washed properly but I always do. 
Next cut the 2 inch piece into smaller slices, preferably so that pieces of the root are actually sticking out.  


There are many ways to make this tea but I add four cups of water to a medium saucepan


I add the cut up ginger and place the water on medium to high heat


Let the water come to a fast boil 


and then let it simmer on low for about 15 to 20 minutes


Strain the tea 

I add a bag of green tea  just to make it a little more flavorful. I figure green tea is good for you as well so I'm not taking anything away from the healthful properties but just adding to it!


Lastly, I add lemon and honey. This honey is real honey, it's not the stuff you buy in the stores that has been boiled down so that there are no longer any healthy properties left in it. This honey is delicious and does not taste the same as store bought honey. My husband never liked honey until he tried the good stuff!

I buy raw honey from my local farmers market or produce stands in the summer and from health food stores or select locally owned stores that carry it year round in the fall and winter. 

The honey seems to really coat the throat and I wouldn't drink this tea without it. 

When taking ginger root to ward off colds adding sugar for a sweetener is not recommended.

Ginger root can also be good for the flu, indigestion and nausea. 
When your mother gave you Ginger Ale (or in my case Vernors) as a child when you had the flu or an upset stomach, now you know why it always seemed to work so well ! 

Ginger root is also said to be used as a circulatory remedy, it helps high blood pressure, colic, boosts the immune system, and helps reduce body temperature in high fevers.

I hope this recipe truly helps many this cold and flu season!
 Since taking it I no longer take any cold medicine. I am not an expert, I don't know very much about natural home remedies, and I don't know why this works so well. I just know that this will sooth a cold, if not cure it, so give it a try!

Love,
   




Monday, September 12, 2011

Chair and Dresser Re-do

Hello lovely friends,

 I just wanted to share some of my latest projects with everybody. I am by no means an expert at any of this! I just do the easy kits and box instructions. Maybe some day I'll tackle something more difficult like distressing a larger piece with two different paint colors. I'm not that brave and we don't have a house yet with enough room for me to take on any bigger projects anyway.

My first project was this little children's chair that I picked up for $2 bucks at a Salvation Army Store Down River near where I work. (Down River is the area along the Western shore of the Detroit River) Such a great deal! I already had the crackle paint from painting a shelf a few years ago.


The color wasn't really that bad but there were at least five layers of different colored paint on there. I really like to make things my own anyway, so off with the paint. At first I tried sanding it all away with my husband's electric sander. I gave up after a few minutes though, there was just so much paint and it wasn't worth it when I could just simply skip that difficult and sometimes unnecessary step in the process. So, I just sanded down a few of the uneven spots.

I chose Rust-Oleum American Accents Crackle Creations kit. 


This is the top coat before the actual 'Venetian White' color (the crackle) is applied



A close look at the crackle finish


I love my fixed-up little chair!

My planter holder is one that I bought at the Petoskey Fairgrounds Antique Show 

~*~

My second project was a two part project 

The first part ~

I bought a dresser at another Salvation Army on a fun thrifting day. I had been looking for sometime for a buffet style piece of furniture or a dresser to use in our dining area. I let a few good deals slip by but luckily I didn't pass up this piece. It cost me $60 dollars. A little more than the other pieces that I had liked but this was a much prettier design and it's a good solid piece of furniture. I think it could have sold for a lot more...


The dresser was in pretty rough shape, lots of nicks, scratches and stains
(Don't mind the mess we're still in the process of unpacking and hanging things up)

I decided to go with a plain black color and then to sand the edges back down to the natural wood color

I chose Rust-Oleum American Accents 'Black Canyon' satin paint.


The first coat...


The second coat...


Outside, sanding it down with fine sand paper


A close view of the finished product

I just love these old dresser drawer pulls! They're just beautiful and a big part of why I decided to buy this dresser


A look at the whole dresser....

~*~

The second part of this project ~

 I wanted to line the drawers with some pretty paper. My problem was that I can't stand the smell of the toxic drawer liners and who knows what those horrible fumes are doing to our skin and our health in general?! Also, I'm allergic to the scented kind with the pretty designs. So I started to research online about what I could do to line the drawers to make them look pretty, while also being inexpensive and non-toxic. Here's what I did ~

During my research I read that wrapping paper or scrap booking paper is a good alternative and just gluing them down with Mod Podge would do just the trick. I already had some Christmas wrapping paper that I've used for two years in a row and I just adore the design. I had always wondered what I could do to keep the paper in some way so it seemed like the perfect thing!
Hobby Lobby sells the biggest rolls of wrapping paper that I have ever seen. I still have more left over after two Christmas's and this project! Just a suggestion if anyone wants to try this out themselves.

I cut three strips of wrapping paper to the size of the drawers



I brushed the bottom of the drawer with the matte Mod Podge and immediately applied the wrapping paper
I started flattening the paper with my hands at the center of the drawers and worked my way to the edges


Then I used a roller to smooth out wrinkles and bubbles


and then this little tool to tuck the pieces under the sides of the drawer


I waited a few hours for the glue to dry and then I applied a thin layer of the glue over the top of the paper. I let that dry for a few more hours and then I finally put the dresser back together again.


The finished product...


There are a few wrinkles but this was my first time doing this so I'm okay with that.


Now my "brand new" dresser/buffet table is ready to use, decorate and store items in...It doesn't even look like the same piece of furniture. That's why I love refinishing furniture myself! 

I hope you all enjoyed seeing my little projects! 

Linking with ~ An Oldie, but goodie Link Party at Small Things


Love,

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Back Home for a visit

Hello, lovely friends.


My husband and I went home to Grand Rapids for Labor Day weekend and we had a wonderful time! It's hard to believe that we have officially been living in the Detroit area for a little over a year now. We still miss Grand Rapids more than either one of us could have imagined. At least we live close enough to visit whenever we want.


While in GR, I went on girls day out with my mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law to some antique stores. We had lots of fun and I was finally able to spend some of my Birthday money. We've been so busy with our move there just hasn't been time to shop and I really wanted to see what would fit in our new place or what I would need  before buying anything new.

~*~

 Our first stop was small shop called 'Cheryl's Cottage Home'. I discovered this place last year during a lunch break and I would stop in from time to time to check out new items. (Sigh)....I miss it!


Someday I would love to own a shop of my own. Cheryl's store is such an inspiration!

In the top left hand corner is a red lamp that I just love. I didn't buy it though...now I wish that I had.


Her displays are the best! Look at all of the fallish-ness! Is there a better time of year?


Love the re-painted coffee table and the white box to store potatoes. There just isn't room in my small kitchen for it.



Just beautiful!


~ Cheryl's Cottage Home ~

4693 Wilson Ave. S.W., Suite C
Grandville, MI 49418
616-249-8991

Cheryl Thomas ~ cherylscottagehome.com

~*~

Next we went to 'Changing Thymes' formerly known as 'Somewhere in Thyme' also located in Grandville.
This store was my favorite haunt when I lived there. The place that started my love for antiques, gently used items and re-doing furniture myself. I bought most of my accent furniture, and decor there. Some people call is an obsession, I just call it a lot of love! 


Feels like ~ Home Sweet Home...



This store is just massive, isn't that great?!




I want to learn how to do the color of the chair in the right hand corner.


The display window is so summery


Lovely matching plant stands


I just loved the blue shelf and the white nesting tables but only the green pitcher and the washboard made it home with me. The washboard is part of my vision for our laundry room, well, laundry closet. Even a laundry closet deserves a little decoration don't you think?


The view heading upstairs....



I think we found M'Kyleigh's senior prom dress!

~*~


My sister Stephanie's sister-in-law just opened up a booth at the store. It's called "Eclectic Ally" and as you can see she makes some pretty cute things! She made all of the clothes for the flower girls for my sisters wedding and t-shirts for the ring bearers to change into at the reception like the ones pictured above. So talented!



What a beautiful day and beautiful dresses too! 
If you get a chance you should really check out her booth.

~*~


One of my favorite booths in the store


Now trying on a corset...


I love this booth too, and all of the red!


Sisters-in-law M'Kyleigh and Whitney and my Mother-in-law Cindy



A closer look....Not very nice, but funny!

~*~


I think one of the things that I love most about antique stores is when something catches my eye and brings back a childhood memory...It almost always happens and this time was no exception. My Great Grandmother Ruby and her daughter, my Grandmother Rosemary, both loved playing scrabble. It was a really serious game growing up, the kids were never allowed to play. My mom and aunts all played the game for hours with my grandmothers, everybody drinking iced tea and poring over the dictionary, it was very competitive. Anyway, they kept the letters in a bag just like this one, It sure is ugly but I was just amazed to find this! I can't wait to show my mom this picture. I miss my Grandmother's very much and I know she does too! 


 Rosemary Bradstreet ~ My Granny

~*~


While in line to check out our many purchases. Gotta love the fur wrap! I don't really know why we take her places? Probably because she's always so entertaining...



Goodbye, store!

~ Changing Thymes ~

4165 Chicago Drive S.E.
Grandville, MI 49418

616-534-7948

As you can see this is a huge antique and craft store. It takes quite awhile to got through it but everyone should definitely check it out if they can!





Much Love,