Open Up and Say Ah!

Our house, built in 1965, still has some *lovely* original details. Like these louvered slats in the living room.We'll I'm assuming these are original. I seem to recall a phase in the 80s where design elements similar to these enjoyed a revival. We have two sets dividing the dining/living areas and the others are on the wall overlooking the entry way pictured below. After being gifted a reciprocating saw for Christmas (thanks, Harriett) it was time to attack these babies.

Here's the before:

And the after! Doesn't it open up the space so much? Now we have to refinish the top of the 1/2 walls with a little wood filler and paint but that's easy-peasy.

We actually dig that light fixture hanging in the entry way. It's definitely original and one of the elements we want to preserve.

It's raining, it's pouring

This photo is available for download for free over at Oh Brooke! Isn't it dreamy? And appropriate for today's rainy weather here in North Carolina. I've ordered a 5 x 7 matte print of it through Snapfish. Now, where will it go?

Teriyaki Pork and Mango Stir-Fry

This recipe from Rachael Ray's mag is one of my new faves. I generally don't cook a lot of pork other than bacon (yum) so I wanted to try something new.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound boneless pork chops
• 1/2 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 small head napa cabbage, cored and thinly sliced crosswise (about 7 cups)
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• One 1-inch piece fresh ginger, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
• 3 tablespoons store-bought teriyaki sauce
• 2 mangoes, cut into matchsticks
• 2 cups bean sprouts

Directions:

1. On a work surface, place a pork chop between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and, using a meat mallet, pound 1/4 inch thick; repeat with the remaining chops. Slice into 1/4-inch-thick strips. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the flour and salt; add the pork and toss.
   

2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Shake off any excess flour from the pork and arrange in a single layer in the skillet. Cook until browned and crisp on one side, about 3 minutes; turn and cook, stirring, until browned all over, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
   

3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the cabbage to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until the cabbage begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Stir in the teriyaki sauce, then toss with the pork and mangoes. Top with the bean sprouts.

Charley Harper

from CharleyHarperPrints.com

When we were in Costa Rica last month, we spent an amazing day hiking through Monteverde Cloud Forest. One of the most biodiverse places on earth, it is truly one of the best places I have ever been.

Browsing the interwebs last night, I found a Charley Harper poster inspired by Monteverde! I was thrilled -- both Jake and I love his work and to find a piece that really spoke to us was parfait! It's winging it's way to me now....to find an affordable frame is my next goal!

Trim

I wanted to give our bedroom a more "finished" look so I decided crown molding would be a good addition. Wood molding was going to be a PIA to deal with so I sought out some more DIY options. SoSimple sells affordable, high-density foam moldings over the interwebs.

Here's a before shot of the room. The paint is a super light pink so it's hard to get a shot that shows the contrast of the trim.

And after...

It looks ok in these shots but we really didn't do the best job of installing it. The house has popcorn ceilings througout (gross) and the trim doesn't lay totally flush on the ceiling so it was hard to line up all the pieces. We also made a couple of small errors in measuring so we have a few seams that are larger than they should be. I am going to get some white wood filler and paint and hopefully the seams won't be as visible.

Snowpocalypse!

Sounds like it's going to be a cozy, homebound weekend here in the Triangle. Good thing I have crown molding to hang and walls to paint. I'll be busy!

Quiet here on the home front. I've been doing some painting and waiting for the crown molding I ordered to come in so I can put it in the master BR. Hopefully I will have that to show off next weekend!

A few months ago we did *finally* replace the kitchen door. It was original from 1965 and made out of what appeared to be heavy-grade cardboard. A burly preschooler could have kicked it down.

It has the blinds embedded in the panes of glass which are nice; I can choose how much privacy and light I want. We had Lowe's install it--we really need to find a handyperson.

We also painted the kitchen to a sunny yellow. It was bright blue when we moved in. Why the previous owners decided on this color when the cabinets, floor and countertops are neutral and faux-stone is just beyond me: