Barns of Benton County: Aqua Doors

This week's barn isn't particularly old or weathered or in a picturesque setting or anything that typically catches my eye. But all of the outbuildings on this property have aqua colored doors!

This building is the shape of a grain bin and has the widely spaced slats on one side, but the other side looks like barn siding. I like the narrow window near the top and the aqua trim!

 

The barn looks like it needs a new roof. Even the aqua doors are in disrepair. I'm sure maintaining outbuildings is a constant job as the weather is extremely abusive. High winds, 90-degree summers, -10 below in the winter, hail, ice storms, humidity...

Here you can see the old barn and a newer machine shed--again with aqua doors and trim. If you notice the little utility shed to the left of the barn, it has aqua trim as well. Do you think there is an aqua door on the other side? 

If I remember correctly, the farmhouse on this property is white with a gray roof. Narry an aqua door to be seen! Nor trim. I wonder why the owner chose the aqua doors and trim for the outbuildings? Can you venture a guess?

Friday Flashback: Homemade Laundry Soap

I made laundry soap this week and to do so I had to look on my own blog for the recipe. Do you use your own blog as a resource like that? Anyway, I've updated the recipe a little and took the time to make this fun picture of it in Pic Monkey. If you follow me on Facebook, I guess you already knew that! Do you make your own soap? Try it!

 

 Here's my original post and recipe (and super-easy instructions!) from last August. 

 

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 Dirty Laundry

 

Sorry, no juicy gossip here, but I can tell you an inexpensive way to get your literal dirty laundry clean again!

I know there are precisely a million and six recipes on other blogs.

I counted.

For that reason, I'm not going to get into why this detergent is better, except to say for our family it works. 

It cleans well, smells great, is super-simple and is cheap! 

(That would be "inexpensive", right Mom?)

Before I've used Ivory bar soap from the toiletries section, Borax from the laundry section, and had to make a special stop at Ace Hardware to get the washing soda, but today at Walmart I found all of the ingredients right there!

In the laundry soap aisle! Together!

Here's the recipe:

1 bar Fels Naptha soap

2 cups Borax

2 cups washing soda.

Here's how I like to make powdered laundry detergent.

Cut the cheddar cheese Fels Naptha into chunks. (Just one bar.)

Measure 2 cups washing soda.

Toss the chunks and powder into the food processor.

Who wants to grate all that cheese by hand? Not me!

Blend until the bar soap is powdered, then add 2 cups of Borax.

Mix for another 15 seconds or so.

I made three batches. Why not? It keeps well and now I don't have to make it for a long time!

Pour the detergent into a container.

Right now I'm using an empty peanut butter bucket.

Yes, my family eats peanut butter by the bucket!

I'd like to get one of those pretty glass containers, but I'll wait until I have a pretty laundry space to put it in.

Each load of laundry requires only 2 tablespoons of powdered detergent!

Yes, that's a shot glass-mixer-deal-thingy.

Isn't that a great way to measure 2 tablespoons with one scoop?

(Thanks, mother-in-law!)

I learned on this blog that this detergent costs $.075 per load!

Magazine Organization

Are you a stacker? I am. Totally. Right now I have a stack of frames waiting for another stack of pictures to be added to them so they can all be added to the gallery wall in the hall. There's a stack of thank you cards (from my boys) waiting to be written (by me), and a stack of stuff at the top of the basement stairs waiting for me to take it down...

My craft closet has gotten the brunt of my stacking in the last couple of months. It's an easy target because it's behind fun striped doors, there are always projects going on and then I want to clean up before the weekend or before guests come over... So it was bad. 

But I straightened it up this week! And it makes me happy! 

Did you notice the tiny stack of magazines in the above picture? It was only a start. In cleaning up the rest of the house (stack-busting!) I stacked the rest of the magazines I wanted to save in the craft closet. I was too cheap to buy boxes to store them in, but I found 4 when I went through the basement storage room!

But they were BORING!!!
 

But that's nothing a little scrapbook paper and packing tape couldn't fix!
 

I added labels and filled 'em up!
 

Now they reside at the top of my craft closet. It's a little high for easy reaching, but they're much more organized than they were, that's for sure.
 

I cleaned out the rest of the stacks and my craft closet is ready for use once again.
 

 One less stack in my house! Now to get those frames filled...

Wordless Wednesday: No Fear

Yellow Curry {Recipe}

Yellow curry is one of my very favorite meals. In the last year or so I've blended a couple different recipes I found until I came up with a version that even makes my 5-year-old ask for more!

Here's what you need to make this yummy, vegetable-filled dish!

2 potatoes
1 onion
3 carrots
1 head of cauliflower
1/4 head of cabbage
1/2 of an orange, yellow or red bell pepper
1-2 cups sugar snap peas
2 Tbs chicken-style seasoning
2 Tbs curry powder
1 can of coconut milk
 

Start by dicing the potato and onion. I like to do larger pieces for this dish. I toss the diced pieces into an electric skillet or cast iron pot or skillet--they all work! Add about 4 cups of water and the chicken style seasoning and curry. Let it simmer while you cut up the carrots and cauliflower, adding them to the pan as you get them ready. Next, dice and add the cabbage and pepper. Add about a teaspoon of salt and a can of coconut milk.
 

The potato and seasonings will mix with the coconut milk to make a nice, creamy sauce. Mmm! When the sauce starts to thicken, add the snow peas--they don't take long to cook!
 

Serve the curry over brown rice or couscous--or whatever your family likes! Speaking of which, the list of veggies above is totally flexible! I love making curry when I need to use up the veggies in the fridge. Other great additions are sweet potato, frozen peas, mushrooms, green beans, zucchini... You can also tweak the amounts of each vegetable, depending on what you like and what you have available.

I hope you try it! It's definitely a staple around our house!

Inspiration Files: A Kitchen Makeover

Have you noticed that a good 75% of my "Inspiration Files" posts are about kitchens? What? You think it's more like 90%? Oh. Well, it may be. I just can't help it! I love a good kitchen makeover, probably because mine needs one so badly!

Source: dearlillieblog.blogspot.com via Ellie on Pinterest

I saw this one over at Dear Lillie. If you already read that blog, you know what a great photographer Jennifer is. I think she's also great at styling things, because this kitchen looks like it came straight from a magazine! I love the style and colors used, and fun things like the pot rack-slash-light fixture over the island! 

Source: dearlillieblog.blogspot.com via Ellie on Pinterest

As I scrolled through the pictures I assumed this was a high-end kitchen remodel which cost a pretty penny. But you know what? It wasn't! The homeowners painted everything themselves and did all of the work except the slate floors and marble counters. And as amazing as it sounds, start to finish this makeover only took 11 days! I'm so impressed!

Source: dearlillieblog.blogspot.com via Ellie on Pinterest

So why are you still here reading my rambles when you can head over to Dear Lillie and check it out for yourself! While you're there take a peek at the fun creations available, not to mention those adorable little girls!




Be inspired! 

Barns of Benton County: Pink Bridal Barn

I did it! I got pictures of that pink barn I promised a few weeks ago! Never mind that it's a day late--you don't mind, do you? Here's a bonus: It was sunset on a beautiful spring day! I love how these pictures turned out and I hope you enjoy them too.

I do need to point out that every building on this property is PINK! The barn, the house, the garage, the sheds. It's not your imagination or a trick from the setting sun. 

The barn houses a store with tons of dresses for brides and bridesmaids and is also a popular place to get a prom dress.

Isn't that a unique venue? 
 

I have a friend who does alterations for the dresses bought here. I should ask her some questions about the place! Let me know in the comments if you have a question and I'll see if she knows the answer tomorrow.
 

The pink farmhouse looks just like it must have 100 years ago! Well, minus the giant cell tower in the background!

 
Now you can't say you've never seen a pink barn!