FALL SPECIAL :: the loft {nightly accommodations in wine country}

I hope you had a wonderful Labor day weekend!!  We sure did....we labored, played and rested....it was just perfect!

We have been trying to soak up these last few days of summer.  We went to the Farmers' Market last week and had rain, crazy winds and beautiful, warm sunshine, all within 15 minutes!!

I have been busy with a few different design projects so I just thought I would pop in to say hello and offer a special for the LOFT.

The LOFT has been crazy busy this summer.  A huge blessing as I wasn't sure how travelers would respond to renting just one room, as opposed to the entire house.  While it was great having a couple of our homes as vacation rentals, it was A.LOT.OF.WORK.  The LOFT is much easier to clean/manage/maintain.  As a huge thank you to our wonderful guests, we are offering a free night October 15th-November 15th.  Just mention the 'website fall special' when booking two nights, and you will get a third night free!

I plan to take a few more house photos and post them soon!!  I just need to wrap up my design projects and spend my extra time loving on my little family....

xoxo~Darci

S'MORES BROWNIE :: a sweet treat

I made these ooey-gooey s'mores brownies last weekend and they are slightly addictive.

A perfect treat for your Labor Day weekend, especially if you won't be camping but still want to savor some of the last of summer's treats!  And really, who doesn't love chocolate + graham crackers + more chocolate + marshmallows??

Ingredients

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 9 broken in half (18 pieces) whole graham crackers, divided
• 1 package chewy fudge brownie mix
• 1/4 cup water
• 2/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.)  Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips,divided
• 2 chocolate bars, roughly chopped
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• chocolate (for melting), 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, chocolate bar or whatever your heart desires

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

LINE 13 x 9-inch metal baking pan with foil leaving an overhang on two sides. Spray foil with nonstick cooking spray.

PLACE 15 graham cracker halves into bottom of pan, overlapping slightly. Break remaining graham cracker halves into 1/2-inch pieces; set aside.

COMBINE brownie mix, water, oil and eggs in medium bowl until blended. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips.  Spread over graham crackers in pan.

BAKE for 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted into center comes out still slightly sticky; remove from oven.

PREHEAT broiler.

SPRINKLE remaining graham cracker pieces, broken chunks of chocolate bar and marshmallows over warm brownies. Broil for 30 to 45 seconds or until marshmallows are light brown. Watch carefully as browning occurs very fast! Sprinkle immediately with remaining 1 cup chocolate chips and drizzle melted chocolate over the bars.

COOL for at least 1 hour at room temperature. Lift out by foil edges to cutting board. Carefully remove foil. Cut into bars with wet knife. Store in tightly covered container.

I would recommend sharing these with friends because I promise you, it will be hard to stop eating them!!

Enjoy!!

xoxo~Darci

CHOCOLATE CRINKLE COOKIES :: a sweet treat

These tasty little treats taste like brownie batter.  They are so good, trust me, you won't be able to eat just one!

RECIPE

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 tablespoon of oil   1 large egg 1 tablespoon milk 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2/3 cup cocoa 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup powdered sugar, for coating

In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar.  Add oil, egg and milk and stir until combined.  Add flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.  Stir with mixer just until combine - don't over mix.  Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

To scoop out cookies, use a tablespoon and roll the cookies in powdered sugar, twice.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet 8 minutes.

FALL EVENTS & CLASSES :: at a glance

Hello and happy Saturday!

I am just popping in to let you know that I updated the FALL SCHEDULE.  I will be sure to showcase each event as the time gets closer.  I am really excited for the Vintage Sale October 4th and 5th.  I am teaming up with some super talented ladies and we are going to have ourselves a fun, Fall inspired Vintage Sale.  And of course I LOVE hosting the entertaining classes, it's going to be a fun Fall for sure!  More details to come!!

Have a lovely weekend!

OUR HOME :: my home office

Good morning!

Well, as I mentioned last week, I am trying to be better about snapping photos of our home and projects I am working on.  Today I thought I would show you a few photos of my little home office.  It's a hard working little room with a lot of bright light.... and a squeaky old wood floor....and I love it!

Our home office is just at the front of the house, only a few steps from the front door.

When we remodeled our home, we thought having the home office near the front door would be great in case we ever met clients there.  We never meet clients here, but I still love where it's located ;-)

This is usually where I spend  at least 2 hours every afternoon while the girlies are napping.

We get fabulous lighting in this room.  A major bonus when you are attempting to get work done!  I found some great organizing pieces at Staples, Martha Stewart has a fun line of office products.  I just noticed Staples has 40% off of Miss Martha's line of products, but this week only!  I might have to make a late night run because I can never be too organized!!

Speaking of organization, I am old school and still like to write things in my calendar.  I am sure some day I will know how to enter dates into my phone....

One wall of the office is painted in Chalkboard paint.  It provides a lot of entertainment for little hands!

I also have a cozy reading chair.  It was never intended for the office, but when we moved back into this home, we didn't have any other place for it!

Matt built me some fun shelves that flank two of the four walls.  They provide a lot of extra storage without making the tiny room feel even smaller.

I have random cubbies and trays for all types of little trinkets!

And a basket filled with little 'tools'.

I threw this little 'wrapping station' together one morning when I was wrapping birthday gifts for Matt.  It's a bit rinky-dink, but it keeps my wrapping paper from getting wrinkled!

I usually have piles of flooring/wall covering/fabric samples all over.  I typically just have 1-2 design jobs going at a time, but I sure seem to clutter up my limited counter space in no time!

Speaking of clutter, I better get to work!  Thanks for taking a look-sie at my little home office.

xoxo~Darci

A WALK IN THE PARK :: a few photos

This was my first year participating as a vendor in Carlton's a Walk in the Park.  I have volunteered and attended in the past, but never participated.  It was a blast!  There is no way I could have done it, or enjoyed it so much, if it wasn't for my dear husband.  He is most definitely a keeper!!

Of course I forgot to snap any photos after I set up, or after the first day.  I snapped a few photos on Sunday {the second day of the event} but I had already sold half of my pieces so the tent was looking a bit sparse!

It was such a fun time and I have to say it exceeded my expectations.

What a blessing to live in such a great community!!

And, on a second note....we randomly picked the winner of the Breakfast Basket!  I am not very technical, I wrote all of the names {there were 78.....thank you!!!} on old business cards and Addilyn drew them out of a basket!

I will contact you Miss Lori Jones!

Have a lovely day!!  The girls and I are off to go re-organize the design studio....it looks like a tornado blew through there!!

~Darci

OUR HOME :: living room + kitchen

Hello and happy Tuesday!

I hope you had a great weekend!  Last week Matt and I had a fun interview.  The interviewer asked if I had photos of our home on the blog.....oops.....I realized I don't have many photos of our home!  Soooo, I thought I would post a few over the next couple of weeks.  It's a great incentive for me to tidy up and finish a few projects!

We renovated our home almost 9 years ago. but I will share those photos and details on another post.

Today, I thought I would share our living room and kitchen.

We have a long hallway/entryway.  When you 'round the corner', the space opens up to our living room and kitchen.

My oh-so-talented hubby built the cabinets.  They have held up really well to all of the abuse I give them.  But, we do plan on repainting them this winter...

When we remodeled this home, we were young newlyweds with a small budget.

I would have done things a little differently if our budget had allowed.  Our one splurge in the kitchen, was the 36" dual-fuel WOLF oven.  I use that baby everyday and I am so glad we scraped our pennies for her!

I LOVE my island!  Matt milled down quarter-sawn white oak to make a countertop that can comfortably seat six.

This is a hard working island!

If I am not using it for cooking, we are eating at it, doing crafts on it, or some other ridiculously, crazy project.

You can see the microwave is tucked into the island.  I love that it is out of eye sight, but still easy to use.

When we repaint the cabinetry this winter, I am thinking of painting the island a lighter color.  What do you think?  Stay dark, or lighten it up a bit?

The kitchen opens right up to the living room.  This space truly is the heart of our home!

I am always changing out the pillows.  I have a ridiculous stash!

I usually sew my own pillow covers.  It's less expensive than always buying new, and I can pick the perfect fabric for the look I want.  I found these pillows at Pier 1 and I had to snag them!  Sometimes a girl just wants to buy a pillow and not have to sew:-)

Love fresh flowers in the house, especially sunflowers!

I am always changing out the decorations on the mantel.  As soon as Autumn arrives, I will change everything up again!

This window seat is Addilyn's favorite area.

We keep toys and books in the open cubbies.  Kids can easily get to the toys, and I can easily throw them back in the baskets at the end of the day.

It's a great little 'kids' corner that is tucked to the side of the living room.  It can get messy, but it's out of the main walking path, so it's not a big deal to have books and toys scattered about.

The living room leads to our new covered deck.  I love that the covered deck almost doubled our living space!

And, just in case you thought I was neglecting my sweet-peas during my little photo session, they were right there in the middle of it ;-)

We love us some Sesame Street at our house.  Addilyn gets to watch TV for an hour, and I get some work done...it's a win-win for both of us!

Thanks for taking a peek into our little home.  Come back next week for more photos!  Until then, have a lovely day!

~Darci

A COUPLE OF GIVE AWAYS :: to celebrate Carlton's Walk in the Park

Hello friends,

We are super excited to be participating in Carlton's a Walk in the Park this year!  We have volunteered and attended almost every year, but never participated.  In all honesty, I feel completely overwhelmed at trying to get a booth together, but I know it will all work out.....it always does!  Matt is going to help me at the booth all weekend, and we always have fun together, so I am looking forward to spending some time with my man!!

 We will have some special incentives, gifts and give-aways for you guys, it's going to be great!

Sign up {via the blog} to receive blog posts directly to your inbox, and 'like' us on FACE BOOK, and you will be entered for a chance to win a breakfast picnic basket.

The basket will be full of great breakfast items.....coffee, baked goods, jam, honey and more....a $75 value.

**If you already receive our blog via email, and have "liked" us on FACEBOOK, just leave a comment and I will enter your name in the drawing.**

Come visit us as Carlton's a Walk in the Park.

Purchase $200 work of Chalk Paint supplies, and receive a free FARM BELLE  jam, honey creame or marion berry syrup.

Farm Belle products are locally made and they are sooooo tasty!

We will also have Chalk Paint demonstrations, custom painted furniture {for sale} and all sorts of fun things!  Looking forward to seeing you next weekend!

Oh, and the design studio will not be open next Friday, August 16th.

We will be setting up our booth.  If you need supplies, just call or email and I can meet you at the design studio and get you stocked and ready to paint!

xoxo~Darci

DIY WOOD SIGN :: made from a cabinet door

 Hello and happy Monday!

I didn't take any photos to document how I made the wood signs for our covered deck {big surprise...wink}.  I am just awful at documenting things!  However, it was really simple, so I thought I would share a few tips.

Being that my sweet hubby is a {very talented} cabinet maker, we usually have new cabinet doors laying around the shop.  Doors that didn't fit or work for a job, for whatever reason.  You could use any cabinet door really.  But, the shaker style work best.  It already has a 'frame', no modifications need to be done!

• I took two matching cabinet doors and painted two coats of OLD WHITE Chalk Paint®.  The paint covered the laquer finished, maple cabinet wood perfectly.
• Next, type your phrase onto a blank document.  I used the HELVETICA font, and the font size I chose for my sign was 200.

• With a pair of scissors, cut each word.  If the word didn't fit onto the printed  page, roughly cut the letter to be able to make the word.
• Tape any letters together that need to be taped, and lay the entire word onto the painted cabinet door.
• Move the words around until you like the spacing.
• Once the words are right where you want them, tape them to the cabinet door.

• Once the words are taped, with a pencil, trace the outline of each letter.  Press hard!  You want the letter to be outlined on the wood door.
• Once your words are traced, fill in the letters with a paint pen {I use these} or an artist brush and paint.
• At this point, you may be done!  Wasn't that easy?
• I took a fine grit sand paper and distressed my sign.  I wanted the words to look a little 'worn and tired'.  Then, I coated the entire sign with clear wax, asked my hubby to hang the signs and we were good to go!  Matt had some really neat old nails, we found them when we remodeled our home {a 1908 foursquare}.  My guess is that they are original to the house!  Anyways, he centered the signs and attached them with the old nails.....

I love them!

Do you have a different way of making a wood sign?  I would love to hear!!

xoxo~Darci

BEFORE & AFTER :: the back deck

As you may remember, I showed a few photos of our recently finished back deck.  Matt still had some details to finish, but I was excited to post some photos.  Well, yesterday he finished the back deck!

See how tall the deck is off of the ground?  Well, for months now, this area has just been open {and ugly}.

We couldn't put siding back up because it would trap the moisture and just be a big, yucky problem down the road.  We still wanted to be able to use the space for firewood storage, so we needed something accessible, yet pretty to look at.

Matt built this trellis our of cedar.  It will turn a soft gray as it weathers.  He is going to spread bark dust under the deck, so when you do peek through, you see a nice clean layer of bark.

When I watch Matt work, he makes everything look so effortless.  This would look awful if I attempted to try it!

It truly is one of my favorite spots to sit and relax.

We eat dinner out here almost every night!

I needed something between the windows so I made these two signs from cabinet doors {we have a few extras laying around}!  Next week I will do a 'non-tutorial' on how I made the signs, they were super easy!

The garden is growing like crazy!

And I can't forget to share a photo of my little assistant!

xoxo~Darci

SAVANNA LYNN :: a few photos

 About a month ago, we had some photos taken of our sweet little Savanna Lynn.

Addilyn affectionately calls her 'baby Vanna.'

I never thought motherhood would be so amazing.

It's hard, fun, messy and rewarding...all at the same time.

This little one has captured my heart.

Everyone was right, you have room in your heart to love more than one child.

Some days are harder than others, but I wouldn't change it for the world!

What a privilege and blessing to be able to raise two little ladies.

Oh....and in other news,  Matt just bought a dirt bike....I think it's a coping mechanism for being the only guy in the house :-)

xoxo~Darci

'HOMEMADE' CINNAMON ROLLS :: a sweet {breakfast} treat

 

Every Friday morning, I bake a batch of 'homemade' cinnamon rolls.

I make a big pan for our breakfast, and a mini pan for guests staying at the LOFT.  The guests are always asking for the recipe so I thought I would share it.  You won't believe how easy these are!!

CINNAMON ROLLS

2 loaves of frozen bread dough, thawed (I use RHODES, they come 5 to a bag) 6 tablespoons of butter, softened 1 cup of brown sugar 4 tablespoons of cinnamon 1/3 cup of sugar butter icing glaze (recipe below)

Thaw two loaves of frozen bread dough in the refrigerator or on the counter - I just follow the directions on the bag.  Allow the thawed dough to rise for 1-2 hours in a warm area covered with a damp cloth.  Roll the dough out into a rectangle onto a floured surface.  Spread softened butter on the rolled out dough.  Sprinkle sugar, brown sugar and cinnamon over the dough.  Roll up the dough into a log.  Slice into 2-inch thick rolls.  Place into a buttered pan.  Cover with a warm damp towel and allow to rise 2-4 hours (or overnight) in a warm area.  When the rolls have doubled in size, bake them at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until they begin to brown.  Top with Butter Icing Glaze.

BUTTER ICING GLAZE

 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of milk

powdered sugar

Melt butter with milk in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Add powdered sugar until the glaze is the right consistancy - it just be perfectly smooth - no lumps.

Enjoy!!

PS ~ I found the recipe here

BATHROOM INSPIRATION

I am working on a floor plan for some local clients.  They are a sweet couple with two equally sweet children, and they live in a darling old house, just a few blocks from us.  They are looking to remodel one of their bathrooms, and I thought I would share some of the photos I used for inspiration.

The house is an old Craftsman.  The owner loved the idea of an apron/farm style sink.

I don't blame her, I love the idea as well!

We also decided to go with a clawfoot tub/shower combo instead of a walk-in tiled shower.

Flooring and wall covering will most likely be determined by the budget.

And we can't forget light fixtures!

I love my job!

FREE PRINTABLES :: {for summer}

Remember when I mentioned how great the TomKat Studio website is?  It's one of my favorite websites!

Just thought I would share these cute summer printables that you can download from their website.

Aren't they darling?

xoxo~Darci

RUFFLED APRONS :: a non-tutorial

I am really bad about taking photos of my projects.  I am usually rushing to get through the project and I just go on  and forget!

I have been trying to work on Walk in the Park projects "here and there".   There is not a lot of "here and there" time with a 2 year old and a 2 month old, but I love to have little projects going.

I thought I would sew a few aprons for our booth.

I have a thing for ruffles.

I am not necessarily good at sewing them, but I sure love having them on curtains, pillows, and aprons!

Since one of my many faults is not being able to follow a sewing pattern, I just started sewing these aprons.  I wish I had detailed step-by-step instructions for you!

They aren't perfect, but I think they make cooking and kitchen chores a bit more fun!

xoxo~ Darci

JULY 24th :: BRING YOUR OWN PIECE WORKSHOP

Good Monday to ya!

Just a quick note to say we added a Wednesday night 'BRING YOUR OWN PIECE' Chalk Paint® workshop in the month of July.  This is such a fun class!!!  We teach four techniques, you get to use our paint and supplies, you get a super cute canvas MD HANEY & CO. tote, and you take home your beautifully painted piece!!  Here are the details....

CANON BEACH :: a 4th of July tradition

Have you been to Canon Beach?

It is one of my favorite beach towns {in Oregon}!  The shops, the food, the houses, the ocean, I love everything about it!

Three years ago, a friend told us that the entire city celebrates the 4th of July.  That they have a darling parade and great fireworks.  She was so right!

It has now become a tradition.....starting with breakfast at the Canon Beach Bakery....

Cheering on the participants in the parade.....

Packing a picnic for the beach.....

The past two years, we also did a lot of shopping.  Funny thing; a 2 year old and 2 month old aren't really into shopping....

So, this year we didn't check out any of the darling little shops, looks like we will just have to make another trip later this month ;-)

Hope you and your family had a lovely 4th....we are so very blessed to live in a free country!!

xoxo~Darci

BEFORE + AFTER :: our dining room furniture

 Happy Tuesday friends!

I thought I would show you a few photos of our dining room furniture.  I am in the middle of re-decorating {or really just shopping the house and re-arranging} our dining room.

Confession ::  I would love to buy a long, rustic dining room table.  Pair it with linen slip covered chairs and I would be a happy girl.  But,  it's hard to justify that when we have a dining room set that works just great!

I thought I would try painting our furniture to see if I would like it a little better.  If I hadn't been introduced to Chalk Paint®, I would have never dreamed of tackling our dining room furniture!  What a pain!  Sanding, priming, several coats of painting, yucky fumes.....just doesn't sound appealing.  However, with the ease and beauty of Chalk Paint®, I was willing to give it a try.

I tried a coat of 'French Linen' on the table top.  I was curious to see how well it would cover.

Two coats of paint on the top, and I was convinced it was worth it to paint it!

I painted the table top and bench a gray...."French Linen".  The chairs and base of the table are painted a soft white..."Old White".

Sweet little Pea was quite the helper.

She happily slept in the swing and gave me a solid two hours of painting time!

I distressed the edges and table top.  I wanted the original black to show through,  but just a little bit.

I applied a coat of Clear Wax, and called it good!

The table, bench and six chairs, took about eight hours to complete.

Start to finish.

And, I was able to do the entire project right in the dining room!  I am so lazy when it comes to painting.....yet another reason I love this paint!

I still have a ways to go until I get the dining room put back together, but at least the furniture is painted...

 and the table is set!

Now all I need to do is prepare dinner!

xoxo~Darci

FREE PRINTABLES :: a cute way to celebrate every day

It's a fact,  I function best when I am organized.

I have become a lot more relaxed after having kiddos, but I still like my "to-do" list.

You may already know about The TomKat Studio.  But, if not, you should check out her website.  She has inspiring party ideas, and some fabulous tutorials.

One of my favorite sections of the website is the 'Free Printables'.

I just wanted to share this fun resource with you girls.  I know you will love, love, love the ideas, inspiration and adorable printables!

Happy Creating!!

CARLTON'S WALK IN THE PARK :: August 17th & 18th

One of the many things I love about our darling little town, is the annual Walk in the Park festival.

The food is always a treat, the wine is flowing, the live entertainment is super fun and the art vendors are extremely talented.

For the past 8 or nine years, I have volunteered.  It's always a fun excuse to see neighbors and a great way to support our sweet little town.

This year, I will be attending as a vendor.  Not quite sure how it all happened, but I will be there {with bells on of course}!  I have started compiling a list of the different items I want to make to sell.  I am super excited to be a part of this wonderful event.

Hopefully you will stop by and say hello!!

**all of these fun photos are from the Walk in the Park website**