slacker...

So, I've been a terrible slacker about the blog lately.... it maybe partly because I was wrapped up in some family business (going home to care for my sick brother too some time and effort) or school (decided to take 15 credits this semester).

OR

Maybe it's because we bought a house and I've been systematically redecorating / renovating! It has only been a few months and I have new plans drawn up for the main floor. Those changes will have to take a back seat for now, though because we are knee deep in [several] other projects... Plus, spring has sprung and we'll be addressing the yard, too. Yikes.

Easy Chair Covers...

And when I say easy chair covers, I mean easy. This job (completing 6 chairs) took me about 8 hours. For the tiny time investment, the impact is really spectacular.

First, I began with an old 1960's set. The table is teak and has a Danish modern feel, so I knew I wanted it. The set was very well taken care of by its former owners, but the chairs were a bit dated (not in a good way, either) and had some wear. With the holidays quickly approaching and my in-laws coming for our annual Thanksgiving celebrating, I decided to invest $20 in fabric and a day of labor to dress up my new set.

Here's what I did:

Step #1 - Measure chair backs and cut fabric to fit. I cut my fabric long enough to fold over the top, then pinned the sides closed. Using felt gave me an advantage - thicker material will hide imperfections and allow a larger margin of error. If you're using a thin fabric, add a layer of batting to even out bumps.

Step #2 - Sew the slip-covers for the back, leaving an opening at the bottom.

Step #3 - Remove the seats and cut the excess old fabric away from the edges. Depending on the condition of the existing fabric, you may want to remove all of it... however this takes time and may include replacing the padding as well.

Step #4 - Measure and cut the new fabric - make sure you have the fabric centered and straight on each seat. This is especially important when using a pattern or stripe.

Step#5 - Pull fabric tight and staple.

Step #6 - Replace the seat.

Step #7 - Add the slip covers to the chair backs and enjoy your 'new' dining set.

Eventually I would like to sand the table legs and perhaps paint the chairs. For now, I'm just happy they are no longer an eye sore!

Gift Ideas

As the holidays approach, my list of things to do gets longer. Even so, I love this time of year - all of the planning and crafting; the family gatherings. I know it's silly, but my fondness for the season grows ever year... in a very 'non-holiday' way, of course. What I mean is that I would never, ever, ever decorate for Thanksgiving or Christmas. I would never wear holiday sweaters (unless it was to an ugly sweater pub crawl) and I would never send a fruitcake. That said, I love to give gifts, cook and entertain.

So, what is on my list of gifts to make this year?

ü Re-fillable, personalized coloring books

ü Tool kits

ü Toss pillow covers

ü Half-scarves... Harves?

ü Paintings and art

ü Secret compartment books

And...

ü This super easy-to-make, unbelievably soft, fuzzy blanket:

The blanket simply requires two square pieces of fabric (mine were 60" x 72") pinned together carefully - insides out! Next, the squares were sewn together, with a 9" opening remaining - this is needed to turn the blanket back to 'right-side-out.' Finally, I carefully stitched a 3/8" border around the outside edge to close the gap and for reinforcement. Last, I added cross-stitches at the 1' x 1' intervals to keep the two pieces of fabric from pulling apart.

All in all, this blanket takes about an hour to make. Online stores charge upwards of $40 to do the same thing! I made mine for a whopping total of about $12. And I didn't pay shipping.

Stew-pendous.

Every Sunday I dutifully read the New York Times... I catch up on the world news and read the political columns, but I always save the best(s) for last: Dining and Wine, and Home and Garden. Although their food column is not catered toward vegans (excuse the pun), NYT does a good job of choosing recipes which are thoughtful and easy to modify. This weeks big hit was the Herbed White Bean Stew.

With a few substitutions and served along side fresh pears and homemade flax bread, this was a perfect vegan meal. To finish off the flavorful variety, I paired it with this little buttery goodness:

Here is my vegan version of this stew:

* Added 1 cube of vegan bullion

* Added 1 tblsp of parsley and a dash of sage

* Added 2 potatoes

* Substituted Tofurkey Italian 'Sausage' for the less friendly, non-vegan version.

Over all, it was the most fantastic new recipe of 2010 (so far). This combination seems to be the quintessential fall meal, with its savory flavors and long cook time, smells waft throughout the house all afternoon preparing your appetite for a wholesome and filling dinner. Perfect.

Vegan Halloween

Happy Halloween! Although I love halloween, it (like most other holidays) comes with its fair share of vegan challenges... for instance, which candies are vegan?

I am not a huge fan of PETA (ok, I hate them) but I do appreciate their efforts to educate parents who want to allow for some mainstream popular traditions, like Halloween. They post a list of vegan candy on their PETA Kids website. For those of us who don't have kids, but want to be good neighbors, it definitely comes in handy.

This year, I'll be handing out twizzlers and mini-oreo packs. And I may indulge in a handful of each, myself. After all, it is Halloween!