Around My Home

Decorate With Books!

While we’re waiting for the paint to dry on my antique vanity bench project, I thought I’d share with you one of my favorite design tips: how to decorate with books!

I purchased 3 of these books for $1 each at a local shop that specializes in estate sales. The top one in the stack is a French grammar book that I loved the instant I held it and I paid $5 for it. It's one of the most expensive books I've purchased.

I purchased 3 of these books for $1 each. The top one in the stack is a French grammar book that I paid $5 for. It’s one of the most expensive books in my collection.

Old or new, books are a great way to add character, color, and interest to your home.

I opt for books that are conversation starters and are of interest to me. I like that that they display part of my personality without my saying a word. I also love that I can change them up without spending a fortune!

Here’s a sampling of photos showing how I’ve incorporated books into the design Around My Home:

I love these books! One is a vintage Nancy Drew mystery (I think I read every single one of them when I was younger) and the other is the Bobsy twins – each of these cost me $1. I personally love the weathered look.

Books create balance, making the perfect backdrop for organizing pictures and other objects you wish to display. All of the books shown here were gifted or picked up for a bargain.

I picked up each of these beauties for under $4 each, some still encased in their original shrink wrap! The retail stickers on each of these was $39.95 and up!

I picked up each of these beauties for under $4 each (3 at Goodwill and 1 at Barnes and Noble), some still encased in their original shrink wrap! The retail stickers on each of these was $39.95 and up!

Here's that same stack on it's home in our family room. Recognize that end table? It's the first piece of furniture I transformed!

Here’s that same stack on it’s home in our family room. Recognize that end table? It’s my first furniture transformation!

This stack is my favorite right now: The big book on the bottom is a gorgeous book on art that was a gift from my mother-in-law. The Rose Book I purchased at Half Price Books for $3. The French culinary book was calling my name and I couldn’t leave without it. I shelled out $14.97 for it – it’s by far my most pricey book purchase to date. And I love it!

I purchased this book for $1. The hydrangeas are from my garden. I dried them and sealed them with acrylic clear coat. (I’ll be providing details on how to do this in a near-future post). I already had the flower pot, but I painted it white and sealed it with a glossy clear coat.

Where to find your books!:

–Garage and Estate sales – deepest discounts are usually offered on Sunday’s.

–Thrift stores such as Salvation Army and Goodwill.

–Bargain or clearance section at retail bookstores.

When you bring them home:

–I dust off the outside covers of the books and mist the pages with Lysol before bringing them in my home. Another tip is to place them in a ziploc bag in your freezer for 48 hours.

–Don’t be afraid to ditch the covers on your books. Some of my favorite books had ugly covers that I tossed to reveal something beautiful beneath it.

Happy Hunting,

Tags: Around My Home, decorating with books, DIY decorating, Melanie Bolke, what to do with old books

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Categories All Things DIY

My First (Extreme) Furniture Makeover!

12 Jul

My recent interest in furniture transformations has taken on a life of its own!

I just finished transforming my first piece from this:

To this!

It all started with an old door that I acquired from this adorable 1950’s bungalow I purchased last summer.

After scouring the internet for tutorials on how to transform an old door into a headboard, I stumbled across the BEST one out there: Mandi Gruber’s over at Vintage Revivals.

Mandi has great taste and even greater talent! I read every single post on her blog into the wee hours (some more than once) and also dropped by one of Mandi’s heroes, Brooke, over at All Things Thrifty. I was hooked instantly on what these talented gals are doing!

Starting with the headboard as my first project made me soooooo nervous – what if I seriously messed it up? I want it to be something really special when I’m all finished, so I decided to go shopping for something else.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I was looking for, but after visiting a couple of estate and garage sales, I found this beauty at the Salvation Army for $20!

Solid wood and charming, but in definite need of a deep cleaning and some TLC.

I loved the detail the instant I saw it and knew it would make for a great glazing project.

I thoroughly cleaned every crevice of this piece with TSP, using an old toothbrush to remove years of dirt and grime.

Then I sanded it with 150 grit sanding sponges to rough up the surface.

Next time, I’m planning to just clean and go straight to priming, using a bonding primer. I found that sanding it first made it difficult to get the primer and paint to come out even.

My first pass at spray-priming in the garage resulted in a thin white layer of dust all over everything.

The Hubsters got busy and set up this portable shop for me in the driveway, complete with tarps to protect the neighbors’ (and our) cars and houses.

Primed and ready for paint!

I spent a week deciding what color to paint and finally chose classic white with Krylon Colormaster in White Gloss.

So clean and fresh!

And no longer smells like 1960!

Let the Glazing Begin!

My first thought when I slathered on the glaze was: “oh no! I just wiped mud all over my beautiful white paint! How do I get this stuff off!”

I was really nervous, but just chose to trust all the bloggers who instructed simply wiping off the glaze with a damp rag.

I looked at many, many glazing tutorials on-line. The technique I chose to follow was Mandi Gruber’s “clean glazing” over at Vintage Revivals.

Anyway, Step 1 is to paint the glaze on with an inexpensive brush, paying special attention to all of the detail. Like this:

Step 2: Wipe off the majority of the glaze, but not all of it. Like this:

Step 3: Using a clean, dry paintbrush (not the one you used to apply the glaze), move it in circles everywhere the glaze is, essentially drawing it out from the cracks so that you can wipe it again. Like this:

Step 4: Start wiping again until you achieve your desired look. The top part in this photo is the final wipe down, the bottom part of the photo is just after dry-brushing.

After “Clean Glazing”:

Side-by-side comparison before and after glazing:

Some yummy after photos:

The next piece I’m planning to tackle is this vanity bench I picked up at an estate sale last weekend:

My next project!

Happy Weekend!

Tags: DIY, furniture transformations, glazing white furniture

Comments 9 Comments
Categories All Things DIY

Cherry Popsicle (Green) Smoothie

19 Jun

Take a trip down Memory Lane with the nostalgic taste of this Cherry Popsicle Smoothie!

I love smoothies! Even after 12 weeks of nothing but soup and smoothies post jaw surgery, I still love smoothies!

I especially enjoy adding all things green to my smoothies. This smoothie tastes like childhood to me – and I promise that you cannot taste the spinach. Your kids won’t even know it’s in there if you don’t tell them. It’s that good!

It’s super-tasty, really easy, and reminds me of fun Michigan summers with lots and lots of cherries!

Cherry Popsicle (Green) Smoothie Recipe

Simply blend the following ingredients in a blender on high for approximately one minute:

–1 cup apple juice

–1 large handful frozen raspberries (don’t skip this – it’s a key ingredient!)

–1 large handful frozen dark cherries

–2 heaping handfuls of fresh baby spinach

Makes ~ one 20 oz. smoothie

Note: I tend to like my smoothies a bit on the runny side. If you prefer a creamier consistency, add 1/2 frozen banana (optional) and/or use less apple juice. You could also dilute the apple juice with water to reduce the amount of sugar.

Looking for more smoothie recipes? Click here.

To your health this summer,

Tags: Around My Home, cherry smoothie, Melanie Bolke, non-dairy smoothie, spinach smoothie, summer smoothies

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Categories Nothin' but Smoothies

Thank You Isn’t Enough

27 May

This American flag flies outside my home on Memorial Day as a way to remember.

I pulled up this post I wrote last year with the intent to use this photo again and write something new. After reviewing the post, I realized that it’s exactly what I want to say today as much as it was a year ago…

Around My Home, we fly the American flag on Memorial Day, the 4th of July, and several other times a year. It’s one way we can publicly display gratitude for our troops.

I am able to experience many enjoyable moments during this three-day weekend: grilling in the backyard, getting in some much-needed rest, and spending time with my family. I am able to enjoy these things and relax in relative safety, thanks to the men and women who have fought to defend this country that I love.

My uncle served in the Air Force, my brother was in the National Guard and now serves as a police officer, and my grandfather was a firefighter for more than 20 years. Although I know that the fire department is not part of the military, I always thought of my grandfather as a public defender and patriot.

So, though it doesn’t seem like enough, thank you to the men and women of our military who selflessly protect the freedom that I cherish.

And thank you to the families that love them.

Tags: Around My Home, Gratitude, Melanie Bolke, Memorial Day

Comments 1 Comment
Categories Something Different

3 Grilled Chicken Recipes You’ll Love This Summer

9 May

Grilled Chicken Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Peppers

Following my grilled teriyaki salmon post a few weeks ago, I had a number of readers ask me to share some tips on how to grill chicken.

Detailed here are three of my favorite go-to grilled chicken recipes:

Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Citrus Grilled Chicken

Grilled Chicken Stuffed with Goat Cheese and Roasted Red Peppers

Any of these meals are perfect for summer entertaining or dining al fresco!

1. Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Step-by-Step:

The easiest of the 3 recipes here (though they are all fairly simple), this teriyaki chicken is melt-in-your-mouth tasty and turns out perfectly every time!

Instructions:

–Prepare chicken breasts by rinsing and patting dry with a paper towel.

–Flatten chicken with meat tenderizing tool and pierce several times with a fork. Flattening the chicken results in more even cooking and a tender taste. Piercing it with a fork before marinating results in more flavor.

–Pour marinade into shallow glass pan and place chicken breasts one at a time in the pan, using a silicone brush to smother the chicken with your marinade.

Same marinade I used for my grilled salmon recipe a few weeks ago. Try their Very Very Teriyaki, too!

–Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

–Heat grill to ~400.

–Cook chicken on one side for ~5-7 minutes, flip and cook on remaining side for 3-5 minutes, depending on how well-done you like your chicken.

–Serve with steamed broccoli and brown rice, or pick your favorite sides!

2. Citrus Grilled Chicken, Step-by-Step:

Instructions:

Continue reading →

Tags: Around My Home, Entertaining, fajita chicken, grilled chicken recipes, healthy cooking, marinating chicken, Melanie Bolke, stuffed chicken breasts, teriyaki chicken

Comments 4 Comments
Categories In The Kitchen

Dinner Tonight: Teriyaki Salmon on The Grill

5 Apr

Don't be afraid to cook fish! A simply seasoned salmon fillet on the grill is healthy, delicious, and super-easy!

Don’t be afraid! A simply seasoned salmon fillet on the grill is healthy, delicious, and super-easy.

We’ve invited family over for dinner tonight and we’ll be enjoying the salmon pictured here, a scrumptious salad, and some amazing grilled pears.

GRILLED SALMON RECIPE:

–Place salmon fillets (I prefer Wild) skin-side down on a piece of aluminum foil, large enough to wrap up the edges and create a “foil boat” for the fish.

–Smother the salmon with your marinade of choice, close up the foil boat at the top, and refrigerate for ~30 mins, or a maximum of 1 hour (unlike beef or poultry, fish begins to degrade if left in marinade for too long).

Soy Vay makes some great-tasting marinades. Island Teriyaki is what I’m using tonight (pictured here). Try their Very Very Teriyaki, too!

–Pre heat grill to ~400

–Brush grill grates with canola oil

–Remove salmon from foil boats and brush the fish lightly with canola oil. Place on grill, skin-side up for ~3 mins

–While salmon is still on grill, brush the skin with oil and carefully flip the fillet(s)

–Cook skin side down for 5-7 mins depending on thickness of the fish. Salmon should be close to opaque all the way through once fully cooked and flake easily.

–Remove salmon from the grill and serve with The Only Salad You’ll Ever Need To Make.

The simple toss of a few ingredients in a light olive oil dressing will cause your guests to rave!

Tags: Around My Home, Entertaining, grilled salmon, healthy cooking, how to grill salmon, Melanie Bolke, teriyaki salmon

Comments 3 Comments
Categories In The Kitchen

The Origin of Spring Cleaning: Passover

13 Mar

I imagine my ancestors scurrying about with oil lamps and brooms, removing all traces of yeast from their homes in preparation for the Passover week.

Every Spring, a number of Jews and Christians observe Passover as a reminder of their ancestors’ exodus from Egypt.

In celebrating this annual holiday, one of the instructions outlined in Chapter 12 of the Book of Exodus is to rid our homes of all yeast for the duration of the week-long festival.

I consider myself an Hebraic Roots Christian, so we’ve been observing Passover Around My Home for several years now.

Each year I seek to find and get rid of all the yeast products and each year I inevitably miss something. In the freezer. The pantry. Even my son’s diaper bag.

I begin to take inventory of our food items about a month prior to Passover, in an effort to consume what we can beforehand. While clearing our home of yeast products, I’m always surprised to find yeast (also known as leavening) in products I didn’t expect to. I even discovered it in one of our favorite barbecue sauces one year!

Barbecue sauce?

The annual lesson for me is how hard it is to both find and get rid of the yeast. In Scripture, yeast symbolizes sin.

It’s hard to identify, spreads easily, is difficult to get rid of, and too often tastes delicious!

Sound familiar?

Continue reading →

Tags: Around My Home, Melanie Bolke, non-toxic cleaning products, Passover, Spring cleaning, Yeast