As you may recall, last January (2019) I had a group of friends over for lunch and asked for their critical feedback on some of the rooms of my home. See luncheon post here. Their recommendations for the dining room was to “lighten it up”.

The larger wall of this room is facing east and gets the gorgeous morning sun, but due to the front porch and overhang, the lighting is mostly indirect. The “bay” of windows faces north and has the porte Cochere right outside. Again no direct sunlight.

The first thing I did was paint the walls all white. I was very fond of the soft gray/blue that was above the wainscoting, but all the women agreed it had to go. My favorite painter, John, came to the rescue.

The next change I made was to replace the Mr. and Mrs. chairs with upholstered camelback ones from Ballard Designs. I waited for the best sale and then placed the order, but not before I had them send me swatches as there are many different fabrics to choose from.

I wanted the fabric to blend in with the walls and trim, which are painted a creamy white, not a stark white. Dunn Edwards Cottage White SP113. Fabric is Pique Salt Sumbrella.

The chairs arrived and I was so delighted with the quality. The fabric feels rich and the workmanship did not disappoint.

For the balance of the year, the dining room was fine, but still felt heavy due to all the dark wood ~~table, chairs and buffet.

The holidays came and went and with decorations and tablecloths, the room was satisfactory. And I was still pondering what else I could do with this room.

Then an opportunity presented itself last month. My dear neighbor was moving and had a yard sale. I scored 4 upholstered Parsons chairs for $50.00! I was so excited I bought them immediately. However, the fabric, though lovely, would not go with anything in the dining room. Plus they were stained and worn.

I contacted Ballard Designs, hoping their Parson chair slipcovers would fit (who knew Parson chairs would be different dimensions). I ordered one as a trial. Long story short, after experimenting with different white slipcovers, I finally purchased 4 of them~~ at $44.25 each!

Ballard Designs did offer the ability to have custom slipcovers made out of the Pique Salt Sumbrella, however, the cost would have been over $200 per slipcover. My total investment for the 4 chairs and stock slipcovers is $227.00

I still need to steam them to get the packing wrinkles out, but I am so happy with how they look. Though the fabrics are different, I believe the shades of white are similar. Slipcovers are Super White Twill.

I still need to properly accessorize this room. The painting above the fireplace is okay, but just not quite right. My friend, Janie, recommended a softer looking painting. I am confident I will stumble upon something that will be perfect. Also, any other suggestions from all you talented designers out there, would be GREATLY appreciated.

So here is the before and after. What do you think?

As always, I am so grateful for your kind comments and feedback. I am off to steaming these slipcovers so I can move onto a different project!

As we all settle into our new “norm”, I am sending the best wishes for your health and happiness.

Whether you are Irish or not, I believe we all need the luck of the Irish right now! St. Patrick’s Day is special in our home as it is the birthday of both my daughter and my mother. To learn more about the history of this holiday, please click here . Today, I have two recipes for you: Guinness Pie and Baileys Irish cream cheesecake.

Last year, I made both of these recipes and since they were so delicious, I made them again! The original recipe for Guinness Pie was published in the New York Times but if you try and get it online, they make you pay for a weekly subscription. Not sure how I scored a paper copy of it, but the printable recipe is below. I will provide a link to the cheesecake recipe.

If you need a pie crust shortcut, I strongly recommend Trader Joe’s pie crust. It’s in the freezer section and I always have a couple on hand. It is the best 2nd choice to homemade.

Before I start any recipe, I gather all my ingredients.

Since this recipe requires a bit of chopping, having sharp knives is important. The sharper the knife the safer the chop.

With all the vegetables chopped and ready to go, cooking commences.

Carrots, celery, onion, garlic, mushrooms are cooked in a oven-safe pot. I used my one and only La Creuset pot~~which I love (and wish I had a few more!). While this cooks, your kitchen will smell so good!

The recipe calls for 3 pounds of brisket. Though it does not instruct to trim the fat from the brisket, I did~~about 7 oz. of it. The fresh rosemary was clipped from the garden. If you don’t have an herb garden, I really encourage you to have fresh herbs in a pot. Simple pleasures.

The recipe also calls for 4 cups of stout beer. I had two bottles of Guinness but when I measured it, the volume was only 3 cups. However, the beer did cover the beef in the pot, so I didn’t add more.

What makes this stew so delicious, is that, after sautéing all the vegetables and beef, it is slow-baked in the oven for 2 1/2 hours. After the appropriate baking time, freshly shredded cheddar cheese is added (or trotter gear, if you have it).

The dough can be placed in either a 8-inch square Pyrex dish or a pie pan. I used a 9″ deep dish glass pie dish. After I added the beef stew, I put the remaining cheddar cheese on top and then added a basketweave top crust using different widths of dough. With the leftover dough, I used shamrock cookie cutters for a decorative touch.

Using green food coloring, I painted the shamrocks with a pastry brush. This was the first time I had done this and was rather pleased with the results.

This is such a flavorful, hearty pie, which is perfect for this time of year. Though the recipe yields 6 servings, I could easily get 8 out of the pie.

The next recipe is very decadent but such a festive dessert for St. Patrick’s Day. Just a note: The recipe recommends a 5 hour refrigeration time so plan accordingly. Here is the direct link to the cheesecake recipe~~click here.

For the crust, put whole Oreo cookies in the Cuisinart to get 2 cups of crumbs~~approximately 18 to 20 cookies. Mix in melted butter.

The recipe tells you to put the crumbs in a spring form pan, yet isn’t clear on if they only go on the bottom or up the sides. Keep the crust on the bottom (per the pictures on the link). Bake for 8-10 minutes.

The directions were a little vague about wrapping the springform pan. I wrapped the bottom and the sides with double foil to make sure no water would enter during the hot bath.

Once the cheesecake is finished baking and has cooled, it needs to be refrigerated for at least 5 hours or overnight. I let mine cool overnight and made the chocolate ganache the next day.

This picture below is of the cheesecake from last year. My ganache is much shinier this year but since I haven’t cut into it yet, I wanted to show you what a slice looked like! I hope you try both recipes~~guarantee you will love them!

As always, I hope you are faring well with all the uncertainty. But we all know, that this too will pass. Please take care of your health and well-being as the roses will continue to bloom and the sun will rise. Being stressed certainly doesn’t help. It actually reduces your immune system. Kindness, laughter and hope haven’t been cancelled and I’m determined to stay focused and positive. Sending happy thoughts your way.

We have arrived safely back in the USA after our 6 day Spring break trip to Vancouver, Canada. It was a spectacular mother/daughter adventure with my youngest child and college freshman, Elisabeth.

Traveling was very enjoyable. I felt as if the planes were the cleanest I have ever seen, plus nearly all passengers were happily wiping down their individual seats with disinfectant wipes. People were sharing their wipes and everyone was cordial and polite. We made sure we were feeling healthy and robust before the trip, so I had no qualms at all about traveling or going out of the country.

Vancouver is a beautiful city. I have never been there before. We were expecting rain every day, but the weather surprised us with 5 days of sunshine and blue skies

Vancouver has limited real estate, therefore has been forced to build up and not out. There is a great deal of new high-rise construction and development. It was so nice to see another booming economy, like we have in our vibrant Phoenix.

The streets were filled with people walking and the restaurant scene was lively and fun. Clean air and tasty water were additional pleasant surprises. Residents are clearly outdoor advocates as there are many places to bike, walk, boat and ski nearby.

It was all VERY normal and refreshing, albeit chilly and windy.

Coming home 6 days later, I was so surprised to see the changes in the yard and garden. We have had a lot of rain here in Phoenix, which is just lovely. My bulb garden was bursting with hyacinths last week and this week the tulips are beginning to bloom.

There were enough fresh snap peas from the garden to make this as an appetizer last night.

The 14 baby chicks that arrived from McMurray Hatchery via mail last week have nearly doubled in size.

The Lady Banks roses that line the front of our property have bloomed and created a wall of pale yellow blossoms.

The first of the hollyhocks are bursting with flowers…..already!

We have had lots of storms and rain here….which is an absolute delight in our dry desert environment. I can almost hear the plants in the garden slurping up the additional water.

Today will be a day of baking bread and making more Meyer Lemon marmalade (see recipe here). A generous neighbor shared his lemons on Nextdoor and I took several from the bag in his driveway. As a thank you, I will deliver a jar of marmalade. Just one of the benefits of living in this wonderful neighborhood.

Which reminds me, my last post was about the impact of smiling. I hope you read it, if not click here. I put my smile experiment into action at the airport and I can honestly say, the results were miraculous. Everyone responded to a smile and several times, it started a wonderful spontaneous conversations, even with the serious Customs employees.

Now, more than ever, we need to lift each other up. I believe that we are a strong, kind and a civilized society. There is much we can personally do to minimize the feeling of helplessness. This is a perfect time to build your immune system. Don’t create your own stress~~it weakens your health and your spirit. Earlier I posted the top 10 things I do to keep healthy (see it here). Knock on wood, but it is working for me. I feel healthy and resilient.

Wishing you a relaxing Saturday. Do something wonderful for yourself and your family. Turn off negative messaging~~you can do without it for a weekend! Sending virtual hugs to all of you.

“Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy.” —Thich Nhat Hanh

Twice a week I take an hour long Pilates class at Maximum Pilates. Not only is Pilates physically good for me, but there is a sense of community with my classmates. During Monday’s class, I realized how often we all laugh, mostly at ourselves And between crunches we started talking about the benefits of smiling. Which of course prompted me to do some research and write this blog post.

I believe that you wear your life on your face after 40. Those with happy dispositions have happy wrinkles. And we all know people who are perpetually grumpy. It shows on their face. Granted, life can be difficult, and some people have more angst than others. But often we have choices on how we respond to those life’s challenges.

Research shows that there are physical and psychological benefits to smiling. You know the song…Smile and the whole world smiles with you. There is truth to that.

None of us want the RBF (resting bitch face), do we? I had never heard of RBF until my last Pilates class. Cracks me up that RBF is a thing.

How Smiling Affects Your Brain

According to behavior psychologist Sarah Stevenson, “Each time you smile you throw a little feel-good party in your brain.” Dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin increase when you smile. Those endorphins serve as natural pain relievers and act as the body’s own opiates. Hence, reducing blood pressure, increasing endurance and reducing pain. Sounds good to me!

According to Ron Gutman, the author of Smile: The Astonishing Powers of a Simple Act, “British researchers found that one smile can generate the same level of brain stimulation as up to 2,000 bars of chocolate.” Think of all the calories you can save by just smiling!

Even a forced smile can boost your mood. Usually we think that a positive experience is what makes us smile. While this is true, it’s also true that merely deciding to smile can provide a positive experience. 

Smiling Can Make You Look Younger

In a small study, college students perceived older people who had happy smiles on their faces as looking younger than their age. The people with frowns on their faces were categorized as looking older.

A smile provides you with a mini-facelift. Turning up the corners of your mouth raises your entire face, including cheeks, jowls, and neck. Try it now! Instead of spending $15,000 or more on a facelift, just smile.

Smiling can make you look thinner. In a recent study by a young psychology student at University of Missouri, sad faces randomized and flashed on a computer screen were judged to be heftier. A mouth turned down in a frown might give the impression that a person is weighed down by unhappiness. 

In her book, Forever Chic, the author, Tish Jett compares the differences in aging between American and French women. A famous French model recommends that the world’s most important ageless beauty secret is a smile.

Smiling could add years to your life, according to researchers. The wider you grin and the deeper your laughter lines, the more likely you are to have a long existence.

The impact of smiling on others

Smiles can predict fulfillment in marriage . In a study cited by Gutman, the Smile author, the smiles of students were measured, and these ultimately predicted how long-lasting and satisfying the person’s marriage would be. Right! Who wants to live with a grouch?

Smiling makes you seem courteous, likable, and competent. If you look sad or anxious, perhaps others wonder if you know what you are doing. So perhaps a simple smile might be a shortcut to business success.When you smile, people treat you differently. You’re viewed as attractive, reliable, relaxed, and sincere.

Smiling is contagious. If you like to help others and lift the spirits of everyone you see, just smile. 

So what can we do to smile more? Are you ready to up your smiling game for a week? Don’t you think we need less fear and more smiles in this world right now?

Remind yourself to smile throughout your day and even force a smile onto your face periodically. That set of muscles is closely connected to your happiness and joy emotions. By smiling, you are signaling the emotional centers of your brain to tell them that everything is good. So even if it’s not, it will be soon.

I am boarding a plane today so I will need lots of sanitizer and smiles. Not sure if I will be posting on the blog while traveling this next week. But I will check in with you to see if you are smiling!

Have a fabulous Saturday!

Do you like an open floor plan? According to Google, an Open plan is the generic term used in architectural and interior design for any floor plan which makes use of large, open spaces and minimizes the use of small, enclosed rooms. Are open floor plans going out of style?

I’ve never lived in a home with an open floor plan. The closest thing is our cabin in the mountains, where there is a large window-size opening between the kitchen and the main living room. It’s good for shouting through but not for much else. Sorry for the low quality photo~~it is the only one I have!

Since Bella Terra was built in 1910, it clearly has formal and private spaces. Our kitchen is definitely not an open one. The kitchen to me is my haven, my sanctuary. I prefer it to be separate from the living spaces. To see more kitchen details, click here for Part 1 and here for Part 2.

When I’m stressed, I tend to bake or cook, and want to do so by myself. There is a television in one of the cabinets, but I get to choose whether I want it on or not. The kitchen is open to the breakfast room, but it is not an active part of the house.

The kitchen island is rather large and that is where all our family and guests congregate anyway. I love my family but sometimes I just want to have my own space. Plus I am not a fan of the kitchen mess or smells infiltrating the living spaces. Rarely is my kitchen neat as a pin.

Even though I prefer a private kitchen, I know the open plan is popular. In one of my previous remodels for resale, I did open up the kitchen to the living room/dining room. To see more of the Glenn remodel, click here.

We recently visited friends who just moved. Their kitchen, dining room and living room are one big room. It was lovely but it got me thinking of whether I would enjoy the open concept or not.

When I was designing the addition to the Willetta remodel (see post here), the floor plan was original to 1922…..separate living room, dining room and kitchen. But the kitchen was oddly shaped and it made sense to expand this space.

In addition to enlarging the kitchen, a family room was added on the first level and an updated master suite on the second story.

A House Beautiful article by Hadley Keller, entitled Please Stop with the Open Floor Plans asks, “when did the walls become the enemy?” Somewhere in the early 1990s, builders began touting the attributes of “open plan”. Hadley suggests instead of open floor plans, to try and start using your rooms. Use the dining room more frequently, not just for Christmas dinner.

There is a great deal of discussion of getting rid of the open floor plan, especially when it comes to kitchens. Some are suggesting that you add another “messy” kitchen that is hidden from the open floor plan kitchen. Oh my! The thought of keeping two kitchens clean??!!???

According to HGTV here are some pros of open plan living . 1) Makes a small space feel larger; 2) Being part of the family (not isolated); 3) Entertaining is more social and convenient; 4) Gorgeous open site lines; 5) Eliminating underused space.

And the cons (by HGTV): 1) Makes a large space feel too big; 2) a messy kitchen is always on display; 3) No perfect way to contain the mess; 4) Load bearing walls; 5) Lack of privacy.

So what are your thoughts on this? Do you have an open plan kitchen/living and dining room? Or a separate and private kitchen? If so, please tell me what you love/dislike about it.

Happy Wednesday!

We have a butler’s pantry. We do not have a butler. I would LOVE to have a butler like Mr. Carson from Downton Abbey, wouldn’t you? So, what is a butler’s pantry? According to Google, butler’s pantries are usually located in transitional spaces between kitchens and dining rooms, and used as staging areas for serving meals. They commonly contain countertops, and storage for candles, serving pieces, table linens, tableware, wine, and other dining room articles.

In Europe, the butler’s job was to keep the silver under lock and key. So he used to sleep in that room, and that’s why the room got the name butler’s pantry.

Our butler’s pantry, minus the butler, is located between the breakfast room and dining room. It contains most of our crystal, silver, some china (the rest is stored in the basement), candles, napkins, trivets, teapots, votives~~all the items I use for entertaining. To see a previous post on organizing the butler’s pantry, click here.

What is the difference between a butler’s pantry and a pantry? At our home, the butler’s pantry is a room you walk through to get to the dining room or kitchen. Our regular pantry is a walk-in closet. This is where I store our canned goods and non-perishable food items. I also keep my cookbook collection, beverages and back up non-food kitchen items (foil, Saran Wrap, Ziploc bags) in this space. To see the pantry organization project, click here.

In watching a recent episode of Restored on the DIY Network (which I highly recommend), Brett Waterman brings a 1913 California Mission Revival home back to life. Bella Terra is also Mission Revival architecture, so it was interesting to see the many similarities between the show’s home and ours. During this segment, Brett discusses the attributes of a butler’s pantry.

Since we live with ours every day, it is common to overlook some of its unique features. According to Brett, older butler pantries have wooden countertops. This was designed to prevent breaking the crystal glasses as you place them on the counter (vs. a harder surface like granite or stone).

Our pantry has a detail to the cabinets that isn’t present in contemporary cabinetry. The curvy edge bracket detail is not only decorative but serves as an actual support for the end cabinets.

The other detail that I just love is the curved transition in the wood from the countertop to the backsplash. This workmanship you rarely find today.

Since our home is over 100 years old, it is fun to find clues of a previous era. The cigarette burns on the wooden countertop near the sink prompt images of a former homeowner laying their cigarette down while washing a goblet or mixing a cocktail.

When I was restoring the Willetta house (click here to see that restoration project), I created a butler’s pantry, due to a challenging floor plan for the kitchen. The original kitchen spanned over 2 long and narrow rooms. This space was also visible as you walked into the front door. Therefore, it was important to create an elegant transition from foyer to kitchen. No one wants to see a messy kitchen when they enter a home.

Anytime I remodel a home, I create imaginary future owners and think of how they will utilize the house. Even though this butler’s pantry has the same custom cabinets as the kitchen, the cabinets are lacquered a different color.

The curtain softens the look below the new sink. The butcher block countertops are in keeping with a butler’s pantry feel. Hardware is a simple way to upgrade the look of the cabinets. I selected these elegant crystal knobs and pulls to finish the look. Hardware from House of Antique Hardware. Butcher block countertops from Floor and Decor.

In the Willetta house, I also took a useless storage space and converted it into a china, crystal, and silver closet, as it sat adjacent to the dining room. Who doesn’t need more space to store all those dinnerware items? To see more about this room and the stenciled floor, click here.

In this photo you can see the proximity of our butler’s pantry to the dining room. There are swing doors leading to the breakfast room and to the dining room. A small window to the left (unseen) provides light and ventilation to this transitional space.

Do you have a pantry? Do you have a space you would like to convert to a pantry?

I hope you enjoyed the tour of our butler’s pantry! Can you believe it is March already? Have a wonderful Tuesday.