TANTALIZING TICKING ..........

Isn't ticking lovely ? I haven't got any in our home, but I really must rectify that situation as it's such a fresh look.

I've got the white pillow with ties ..........

I've have the white shabby mirror ..........

I have the chest of drawers ..........

I have the straw shopper ..........

.......... the vintage cases ..........

.......... the luggage labels ..........

.......... the black and white framed photographs ..........

.......... and even the brass bed but, not a stitch of ticking has entered our house. I think that I shall make it my mission (if I choose to accept it ) to bring a little ticking into our home. How about you, or have you beaten me to it ?

images 1 & 12 - Peacock Blue,  2- Living etc,  3- Country Living,  4,5 & 7 - Jigsaw, 6, & 13 -Toast, 8 - Divine Interiors and Gifts, 9 & 10- Forest Bound, 11- Martha Stewart. 

A Green Nursery

Creating a healthy home has been a priority of ours since we began our renovations five years ago. Our motivation was due, in part, to the fact that this was a home in which we hoped to raise children. So naturally, creating the healthiest nursery possible was also main priority for us. It motivated all of our choices, from furniture and wall treatments, down to the rug.

These are the choices we made:

The Cribs: We chose the Da Vinci Jenny Lind crib because it is made with wood harvested from sustainably-managed forests. It's also lead and phthalate free, and stained in a non-toxic finish. Also, the teething rail is BPA free.

The Crib Mattresses: We chose Naturepedic organic mattresses. They offer a non-toxic waterproof surface that includes 100% food-grade polyethylene. They are also hypoallergenic, filled with organic cotton filling.

The Crib Sheets: We chose 100% organic cotton crib sheets.

The Armoire: It was important to us to not purchase any furniture for the nursery that was made with manufactured wood, that may contain glues, adhesives or other compounds which may off-gas over time. Antique furniture provides this safeguard, as well as the opportunity to recycle beautifully-crafted pieces made long ago.

Mike created shelves for the armoire using solid tongue and groove pine floor planks. My Mom then covered them in 100% cotton fabric.

Nursing Chair: We selected the IKEA Jenny Lund slipcovered arm chair for nursing. I was really nervous about bringing a new chair into our nursery, as most new furniture is constructed with manufactured woods that may off-gas. So, I was happy to learn that IKEA strictly procures wood from sustainably-managed forests, and their pressed wood products comply with low formaldehyde standards.

The Rug: We narrowed down our rug choices quite fast in knowing that we would only buy something that was made with natural fibers (with no rubber or plastic backing). We initially looked for 100% wool rugs, but ended up ordering a 100% jute braided rug for its style and shape. It's also reversible, so it should stand the test of time.

Wall Treatments: Like the rest of our house, the nursery was painted using Benjamin Moore's no-VOC line. Everything from the ceiling and the mouldings, to the doors and walls, were painted with the color Simply White in either flat or semi-gloss finishes.

Choosing white for the plaster walls was a natural choice for me as it was the color of my childhood room, from birth until I left for college.

White also has the added benefit of having less pigment added to the mix (pigments most often contain VOCs). I did just recently learn however that Benjamin Moore is one of the very few lines that uses VOC-free pigments. Thus their VOC-free line truly is VOC-free, no matter what color one chooses.

When Mike created the paneled wainscoting, he used solid wood mouldings, assembled and secured in place with a finish nail gun instead of glue.

The Closet: To create extra storage, we relocated the antique dresser from the guest house. We preferred using the dresser for the same reason that we chose the antique armoire. Also in the closet are the toys and books in waiting....until the babies are older.

Purchasing two cribs, two mattresses, two car seats, clothing, diapers, etc.... added up as you can imagine. So we focused our budget on the things we knew we would need from birth through the first several months. Any toys and books we have were ours from childhood, or were given to us by family and friends.

When we do start buying toys, we will focus on brands that offer phthalate-, BPA- and lead-free products.

Baby clothes: We have been very lucky in that we have received lovely hand-me downs from my friend Karen, and my brother Steven and his wife Marna, who have a son and two sweet daughters. The above knit sweater was my adorable nephew's.

This sweet outfit is a combination of a hand-me down (the white cotton onesie) from my niece and a purchase from a baby consignment store (the 100% organic cotton jumper with pink velvet piping). I've found consignment stores to be a wonderful resource for beautiful clothing, often hardly worn, at much lower prices than retail (organic knit jumper was $11).

I hope that everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving holiday! I managed to stay on my feet long enough to make the pie crust... I spent the rest of the day on the couch nodding off and listening to the bustle of kitchen activity made by my mom and Mike.

Happy Holiday Season to everyone! xo

Special Guest

A few posts ago, I posted about a cookie cake that Mr. Tea Rose Home made for our son's birthday party. So many people asked for the recipe that I asked Mr. Tea Rose Home if he would be interested in doing a guest post. He gladly accepted. So enjoy the recipe tutorial!

Hello ladies! Thanks for all the compliments on the cookies. I told Mrs. Tea Rose Home that I could write a post about how I make my cookies. She said, "Why, can't we just post the recipe?"

I jokingly replied, "Well, then we could write: It's on the back of Nestlé’s. The End."

So, there is my secret, the recipe is on the back of Nestlé’s Toll House Chocolate chips, however, that is not all. There is one thing that I learned over the years and it's not on the back of some bag. So without further ado, here is the recipe:

2 1/4 C. flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Salt
2 Sticks Butter
3/4 C. sugar
3/4 C. packed brown sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract
2 Large Eggs

I use a KitchenAid mixer, and I always make the cookies in this order following these steps. This is why they turn out so good, and since I know of no one that makes them like this (because they've said so) it has got to be done this way.

Put the butter (Use the real stuff, no margarine; I use either salted or unsalted sweet cream. I haven't made two batches side by side to see if there is a real difference. When I make a double batch, I'll mix them.), sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs into the mixing bowl. Raise it up and turn the KitchenAid on to its lowest setting. Clean up (you don't have to clean; I'm just trying to keep the KitchenAid on longer.)

Mix the other ingredients into a separate bowl. Really you are supposed to sift those ingredients, but we either don't have one or I'm too lazy to find it, so I just put them in a bowl and lightly mix with a wire whisk.

This whole time the KitchenAid should still be mixing. You might have to stop it to get the butter clump off the mixing arm then start mixing it again. I will sometimes speed up the kitchen aid and lower the bowl to shake some of the mixture off and slow the KitchenAid down and raise the bowl back.


If the dough looks like this, you haven't mixed it enough, keep mixing. Go watch TV with the kids or something, depending on how cold or solid the butter was; this could take some time.


This is what the batter should look like, nice white and fluffy. No lumps from the butter or sugar. Now what I do is add about a tablespoon of the flour mixture in at a time. While the KitchenAid is mixing at its lowest setting, I'll add a scoop of flour and wait for it to get totally mixed in before adding another. This keeps the flour from clumping. Maybe you can just pour it all in and be done with it, but my cookies always turn out perfect if I do 1 heaping tablespoon at a time.

Once all the flour is mixed in, turn the oven on to 375°. Keep the KitchenAid going for several more minutes, and then turn it off. The dough should be delicious; yes, me and my kids love to eat the dough. Anyways, remove the mixing bowl from the KitchenAid and pour in the chips. When making a double batch, I mix in milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate. Mix with a spatula; be sure to dig in and pull the dough from the bottom and get a good even spread of chips throughout the dough.

For the cookie “cake”, I made a double batch and then scooped most of it into the pan and spread it out as much and I could. I think the dough was somewhere from a 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick, I'm not sure, I didn't measure. Either way, with cookies, you are supposed to cook for 9 to 11 minutes. I like my cookies doughy and gooey, so I go for 8 1/2 minutes (I use teaspoons to scoop out individual cookies.)

With the cookie “cake”, I cooked it for 9 minutes and that was too short, so back in for another 4 minutes... still not enough; 4 more seemed to do it; there was a nice light golden brown starting to form on the edges, it was done. Nice soft moist gooey cookies... mmmm.... Great with milk!


They were almost all gone by the end of the party.

Well ladies… that was it. The KitchenAid was nice and warm from all the work, I must have mixed for 30 minutes or more but that is my secret. Keep mixing and then mix some more.

I hope this recipe tutorial will be helpful for you to make the cookie "cake". Thank you Honey for the special guest appearance!

100 Followers Giveaway!

Congratulations, TZel, you are the winner!

In keeping with blog-land custom, Red Hen Home is proud to announce the

100 followers giveaway!!

CSN Stores has been kind enough to offer a $35 gift card (in the form of a promotional code) to one of my lucky followers. CSN Stores features over 200 websites with one checkout! You can find anything your heart desires, from a briefcase to a toaster to a holiday garland!

The lucky winner can use the $35 gift code to any of CSN Stores wonderful sites.

There are two ways to enter; you may choose one or the other, or both!

1. Be a follower of Red Hen Home, and leave a comment telling me that you are.
2. Leave a comment telling me what gift you would most like to GIVE this year...the one you would give if money (or time) were no object!

Giveaway will end Friday, December 3, sometime before I go to bed (probably around 10 p.m. MST).

Good luck, and happy Christmas shopping!

Dining Room Chairs and Buffet Update

Here is a sneak peak of the progress I have made in my dining room over the past few weeks. The chairs and buffet I purchased from the Salvation Army are almost finished and have already found permanent homes in my dining room.

I sanded the chairs lightly and applied a few coats of polyurethane to protect the wood. The seats were in bad shape and needed to be replaced. I removed the old covering and will use this very popular fabric from Calico Corners called Kalah blue.

It was a challenge to find something which would coordinate with the yellow checked curtains, tan and white fabric on the existing chairs as well as the rug in the foyer. Kalah blue tied the two spaces together perfectly and was the right scale. I was hesitant at first because this fabric is fairly light weight and more suited to curtains. We rarely eat in the dining room, however, so I am hopeful it will ware well. My fabric order should be here next week so I will be completing the chair covers soon. Look for the tutorial on this process in another week or so.

The buffet was painted, glazed and slightly distressed. Love how it looks now! The entire room feels more cohesive with both the chairs and the buffet dressed in the same finish.

The mirror I ordered for above the buffet is on back order until January. I took advantage of the empty space and the upcoming holiday season to hang a fresh wreath with a simple white bow. The rug should be here by the end of next week.

From the pictures you can see I have also begun to add a few Christmas decorations. I will be posting a complete tour of this room as well as other parts of my house soon.

Linking to some of my favorite parties HERE

Thanksgiving Giveaway Winner!

Hi all! How was your Thanksgiving? I posted the winners for the Thanksgiving giveaway If you are not one of the winners, don't be sad. :) I will be doing another giveaway in the near future by CSN Stores. CSN Stores have over 1 million products on their site, toys to tv tables. It is fun to browse, and you might find the perfect gift for your loved ones just at your fingertips!

I am going to decorate the house for Christmas tomorrow with kids’ help (?) and with Christmas music on. Doesn't that sound fun? I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend.

Visit my Sponsors' Page to see if you are one of the lucky winners! I will see you on Monday!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ..........

Wishing all of my friends from the States a wonderful Thanksgiving. May you, your families and everyone around your tables, eat, drink, enjoy and be thankful.

Image via two peas in a bucket

Thankful...

First of all, I want to thank all of you who participated in the Thanksgiving giveaway! I read all the "Blessings" in your lives, and they are amazing. Many people are grateful for their spouses, children and friends. Also, there are quite a few people who were able to find something to be thankful for in difficult circumstances. Thank you so much for sharing your stories, and for being an inspiration.


I have so much to be thankful for. Sure, life gets crazy sometimes; I have locked myself in the bathroom for about 5 minute or so to get a moment of Zen in the past (it happens less frequently now). There are ups and downs and meltdowns too.

But I know I have FAR MORE blessings than I can count and far more than those difficult times. Let me share some of the blessings I recognized this year...

I am thankful for "cause" and "effect". Along the way, I always learn something...



I am thankful for ENTHUSIASM. It reminds me that I should be excited about the little things and enjoy the moment...


Although, I am thankful for stillness too. When I take time to do so, I can see the sweet and wonderful things in my life more clearly...


I am thankful for INDIVIDUALITY that makes us unique and makes the world an interesting place to live in.


I am thankful for LOVE and LAUGHTHER; they truly strengthen and enrich my life.


I am thankful for HOPES & POSSIBILITIES. They keep me going through the tough times. I will look ahead and wonder about the possibilities, and hope for the best.


Above all, I am thankful for the Gospel and our Lord Jesus Christ. They glue us together as a family and show us how to live in these uncertain times.

I hope everyone will have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Note: These wonderful pictures were taken by my friend, Michelle. She is an awesome photographer. Please go check out her blog.

The laaaasstttt set of chairs (this year!)

....otherwise entitled, "Chairs for the laaaassstttt table!"

Sorry to keep you waiting (if you were) for more about the table I posted last time. I was supposed to get to this post yesterday, but our family had an unscheduled stop in Rexburg, Idaho, last night! We were on our way to Montana for Thanksgiving, but we got caught in a nasty blizzard, and there was no going any farther!

So, without further ado...what is a table without chairs? I had an idea in my mind that I wanted eight different chairs around my table, and one day, I found SIX different pressed-back chairs for sale on KSL.com.

I am missing some pictures, unfortunately, but here are the two arm chairs that were with this collection:


Aren't they gorgeous? I hit up my friend at Di~Vine Consignment for two more pressed-back chairs, and she came through for me. Now I had my eight!

One of those, unfortunately, looked like this:


So I had to do this:


Which meant I had to order this:


So I had my first experience of re-caning a chair! (It wasn't bad!)

The chairs got wiped down with liquid sander, and although it helped, I can't say that I was overly impressed with it. I still resorted to spraying on some Zinsser 1-2-3 primer before the Sherwin Williams Creamy paint. I will frankly admit that it was almost a shame to cover up the beautiful wood on these chairs...but I was going for a look here!

I will also say that I sprayed a LOT of spindles! Well over ONE HUNDRED when all was said and done!

Here are the chairs after painting:


And here's a look after they've been distressed and glazed, and were just waiting a polyacrylic protective coat.


This set was *such* a lot of work, that I honestly wasn't sure I was going to be able to stand it in the end! Once the chairs were done, and the table was mostly done, however, I put the table together and placed six chairs around it in my garage and stood back and looked...and wow! It was actually pretty!

How nice.

Next step: put a leaf in and see how it looks with eight chairs!!

(((((crickets chirping)))))

"Houston??? We have a problem!"

Has anyone guessed what the problem might be? I certainly didn't. In case you're as clueless as I was, I'll spell it out for you.

Remember how this table has a beautiful, elaborate base that is separate from the table top? Meaning that when you expand the table, the top spreads apart, but the LEGS STAY IN THE SAME PLACE? Which means that when you put a leaf in THERE IS NO MORE ROOM FOR ANOTHER CHAIR BETWEEN THOSE LEGS??

Yah. Neither did I.

This was a deal-breaker for me, folks. If you normally only needed six chairs around your table, and only brought out the extras for occasional guests, it would be fine. But it you have to have eight chairs around your table every day, and you can't push those chairs IN!! Well, it's not gonna happen in my kitchen.

So, the table that was supposed to be for me...wasn't meant to be.

But here's what it looked like!


With one leaf:

With two:

With lots of pretty chairs:


Here's a full shot of the chair I re-caned:






And those beautiful legs:


One last beauty shot:

They may not have been meant for me, but they have found new homes...because, believe it or not, someone wanted the table but not the chairs, while another wanted the chairs but not the table!

And as for me...well I got some cash! (Which will hopefully finance a project I have in mind for my boring family room.)

We (me and my buyers!) have much to be thankful for.

Hoping each of you also have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving! May your day be filled with wonderful company and excellent food, and the chance to reflect on your many blessings!