Decorating Advice Wanted*

I am having an intense urge these days to spruce up the house.  Like, it’s over-whelming.  After 5 years in a house I NEED SOME CHANGE.  I’m not used to this stagnant lifestyle. 

Anyway, so a major project I want to do is take the stairs and make them a bit more exciting.

(crappy night time iPhone pics coming at you due to laziness--there is no pattern/weird sponge painting on that wall, FYI, that is just the reflection from the light)

I want to paint that little section of the wall there that curves.  Stencil it too.  And possibly continue it down to that little alcove below.  I neeeeed some pizzazz lest I die of boredom.   I will also eventually be ripping off the lame carpet, painting the stairs, painting the railing.  But that's all in good time.  For now let's just focus on the wall.

Here is where you come in.  I need some advice.  Which direction do I go here?

A bit of a traditional damask but in a fresh color such as this (but on the wall, not the ceiling, doyee)?

Or a bit funkier pattern?

Just as a reminder, here is the room right to the right of the stairs.  It's a little more formal but hopefully not stuffy.  I have plans for in there as well, but it will continue in the direction of formalish-not-stuffy-ish.  I would totally paint that wall too but the 2-story ceiling in there is a pain in my buttocks.  But enough about that.

Even if you've never commented here I really need your input.  I'm paralyzed with indecision.

In the meantime, next week I'm going to do this to my lame builders grade half bath mirror.  Eeeeek!  I'm so excited I can hardly contain myself.  Looks easy enough.  ::famous last words::

But seriously, here is the TUTORIAL I found.  Who can't cut molding in a miter box and use liquid nails?  ::more famous last words::

I'll keep you posted. 

I also have some birthday posts to do and blah, blah, blah...  I know you can't wait.

*Landee may or may not adhere to what is voted upon depending on her mood at the time the final decision is made.  Thank you for understanding.  Your vote is very important to her tho.

Oh, Hello There

First of all, hi.  How are you?  Good.  Good.

Secondly, is it too late to make some New Year's Resolutions?  I mean, I've had them since January 1, but is it too late to post them?  Since I can't hear you I am going to assume you said no and move forward with this post.

Landee's New Year's Resolutions

(these are not binding in anyway, shape or form and must never be mentioned again by anyone if they see me failing miserably at any of them)

1) Be better about keeping up relationships with friends and family members.

• These days it is NOT HARD to write someone a quick email, write on their FB wall or give them a quick call, send a text or leave a comment on their blog.  Anything to let them know I haven't forgotten about them.  This will be particularly important this year as I am 99.9% sure some ward boundaries are being re-arranged and we will be one of the few families moving over to a new ward.  I'm trying to look at it in a positive manner ("We will double our friends!"  "We get to go to the new/beautiful church building!") but in the mean time I've been fighting back the tears and being unsuccessful.   This brings me to #2.

2) Look at things in a more positive way as much as possible.

• I recently came across THIS article on housekeeping.  And I must say, aside from the weird naming of the house thing, I agree with it 100%.  It is all in how you look at things.  The paradigm shift.  The attitude adjustment.  The gratitude for the things that mess up your house in the first place.  All good things I will be working on.

3) Be more environmentally aware and try to reduce my carbon footprint (even just a little).

• I'm in love with my little reusable bags I bought at the grocery store.  I love carrying in the empty ones and coming out with them filled.  And don't even get me started on how adorable they look all lined up in the back of the minivan.   They hold a TON of stuff (normally this same trip to the grocery store would have used at LEAST 20 plastic sacks).  Their long handles make it so I can sling a few up over my shoulder to carry in the house rather than lining them all up on my forearm and causing me extreme pain.  
• We started recycling our soda cans almost a year ago.  Wow.  We drink a lot of pop.  K, it's mostly me.  But I at least don't have to feel guilty about tossing all my DDP cans into the landfill anymore.
• Do you think I could get Sonic to fill up an empty Sonic cup that I bring back?  I mean, I'll pay full price (half price at Happy Hour though) but I want them to reuse my cups.  Those styrofoam cups are HUGE and I throw them away all the time.  Dang.  Guilty feelings returning.  Maybe I'll get a Prius to offset that.

4) Do more of this kind of stuff with the kids.

• Over the holidays we had an elf come and visit us everyday for the last 12 days leading up to Christmas.  His name was Clarence and he left us little presents or activities to do every day to make the count down to Christmas go by faster.   One of the things he brought was this 1000 piece puzzle.  I had forgotten how much I love having a puzzle out to work on a little here and there.  At any given time you could look over at the dining room table and see anywhere from 1-4 people sitting there working on it.  I should have one going at all times.  Why not I say.  Why. The heck.  Not.

5)  Get Crafty On Your Hineys!!!  Or at least on my own hiney.

• No, I'm not going to turn this into a craft blog or anything like that.  But I am currently OBSESSED with craft blogs.  I don't know what my deal is but I've added about 100 of them to my Google Reader and I LOVE reading them.  It reminds me of the couple years after I had completely stopped scrapbooking but would still read my scrapbook magazines cover to cover the second they arrived in the mail.  I'm not going to make hardly any of the projects but I love perusing them for some reason.  
• I did, however, have a couple of my adorable YW come over and we made these "anthropologie inspired" necklaces.  I ganked this picture off of their FBs.  I think their little sister took it with one of their cell phones?  Anyway, it was such a fun afternoon and we've decided we will try to do something "crafty" once a month (plzthanks see #1 and try not to remind me that I will no longer be in the same ward as these two cuties in about 72 hours). 

6) Not a resolution but check out my awesome milage I had for exactly 1 mile yesterday.   It felt magical.

7)  Somehow figure out how to spruce up the house.  We've been here for almost 5 years and some things need to change.

• I need new carpet for the family room.  This is my minimum requirement for 2011.
• I want to lower the bar betwixt the kitchen and the family room.  It is so high I would have to special order bar stools.  It is so high it causes a strange division between the two rooms that I don't like.  It's so high it's literally good for nothing.  I want it normal bar height ASAP.
• I'm wanting to do some painting.  If I do you can expect before & after shots.  Don't worry, my pretties.

8) Double our temple attendance from 2010.  I won't tell you how many visits this will require but believe me, it's veeerrrrrry doable.  We suck.

9) Find a homeless guy with an amazing radio voice, take a video of him speaking, post it on YouTube and get him an announcing job with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Wait, wha?  K, nevermind that last one.  Apparently the Cavs already have an announcer.

Bossy Bosserson

Why does he think someone was going to? Geesh.

Our Christmas Kardashians

 I don't know why I titled this post that.  I couldn't even name all the Kardashians if I had to.  Poor attempt at cleverness?

Anyway, this year I was in a bit of a quandary.  I couldn't decide between two Christmas cards (colorful & fun or black and white & chic??)  so I sent them both out.   Then, today I had about 20 left that needed to go out and then Beebs accidentally pushed them off the kitchen counter and into a sink full of soapy water.  They didn't survive.  But believe me when I say this is just as good.  It's not like I write a little handwritten note in my cards or something.  I don't hand address them either.  It's strictly printed computer labels.  I don't even write a letter of any kind.  So really, this is better!  And, if you got one, here's the other... if you got none then here is TWO!

We here at the Landerson household wish you & yours a very Merry Christmas!!  

And a Happy Festivus while we're at it.

Landee's Andes Mint Deliciousness

I don't want to sound bossy or anything, but you need to make these today.  Or maybe go to the grocery store for the ingredients today (if you don't have them on hand) and then make them.  Either way is fine, I guess.  But they do need to be made.  In your kitchen.  By you.  And then write me a thank you note, cuz you'll want to (Wondering about that cute pedestal plate?  More on that later).


Chocolate + subtle mint = taste bud heaven.

LANDEE'S ANDES MINT COOKIES

3/4 c. butter
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2 T. water

Melt above ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat until melted and then add:

2 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips, stirring until completely melted.

Cool for 10 minutes. Pour into a mixing bowl and beat in 2 eggs.

Add:
2 1/2 c. four
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Mix together and chill for about 45 minutes (do NOT make the dough the night before and think you can put it in the fridge and do the rest in the morning.  The chocolate chips reconstitute forming a chocolate dough BRICK.  You've been warned). Roll into smallish balls (like 1 – 1 1/2 inches big), flatten slightly, and place on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.

When cookies come out of the oven, place an Andes mint on top of each cookie and allow to melt for a few minutes. Swirl the melted chocolate like icing. Allow to cool.

Just FYI, this is a fabulous basic chocolate cookie for just about everything.  It's perfectly soft & chewy, firm but not crunchy.  I tried THIS recipe from Pioneer Woman last year (can you tell I enjoy the chocolate/mint combo?) and the chocolate cookie part was disgusting.  I like the idea though.  I may try again this year with this recipe.  

Anyway, as I was looking in the baking aisle for some other confections, I happened upon these little puppies.

What?  Yes.  Yes.  And yes.  They looked like the perfect way to make these delectable cookies a bit more festive.  As Beebs said, as she ate these out of the bag, "I think I like these too much." Agreed, my padawan learner.  Agreed.


This time I melted some white chocolate (it's basically an adhesive here) and put it on top and then sprinkled on the Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips.  


Fantastic.

Are you noting the adorable plate they are on? I thought you might be.  My awesome, amazing SIL showed me these when we were at her house over Thanksgiving (that link is to her business website, btw, she does the cutest stuff).   If you're looking for a fun way to deliver goodies around to friends and neighbors this holiday season while, at the same time, giving them a little gift, this is the answer!  And it can be very inexpensive if you do it right.

1. Find a plate.  Preferably adorable and on clearance.
2.  Find a cute pedestal...this could be anything from an upside-down ice cream dish (pictured above with the original Andes mint cookies) to a candlestick.  Thrift stores are literally overrun with possibilities.  I saw some candlesticks at Wal-Mart for $4.
3. Gorilla Glue the found pedestal to the bottom of the plate.  Hot glue pops off fairly easily though it might work in a pinch.
4. Tie cute ribbon/tulle/whatever around it!

Imagine the possibilities with these, people!  You could tier them like nobody's business.  Large plate on bottom, stem, cute coordinating smaller plate on top.  Do cream colored plates and switch out the ribbon to change it up for any decor.   Whatever.  The world is your oyster with these babies.  

PS I told you I was now a food blogger.  But I bet you didn't see that craftiness comin' did ya?  I'm full of surprises.

PSS Here is my "haul" from the cookie exchange aka The Reason I Go.

Diversity: White, White & Super White

My SIL sent me a link to this.  And I thank her.

That Time of the Month

No.

Not THAT time.

It's time to clean my wood floors.

I'd rather have the other time of the month, to be honest with you.

Even with my patented-no-bending-over-or-using-a-mop technique, it is still a royal pain in the butt.  

And I hate it.

So I want this for Christmas.

Here is the LINK to buy it for me.  I know it's a skosh pricey but if someone takes the reins and organizes this it wouldn't be so bad.  You only need 10 people to kick in $20 or 20 people to donate $10 each.  Or even 40 people to contribute $5.  FIVE DOLLARS!  That's nothing.  Please.  Someone.  Make this happen.

Thank you in advance.