Victoria emailed me needing help with the long, skinny room above her garage.  She wanted it to function as a retreat for guests using a color scheme of blue, chocolate and tan.

Here’s what I came up with…

1 – Instead of being too literal with the desired color scheme, I switched up the combination to blue-green, gold, white and espresso…to keep things a little more airy in a room lacking tons of natural light.  For the wall/ceiling color, something along the lines of Olympic’s Carolina Inn Club Aqua {as seen over on Young House Love} would give guests the feeling of sleeping in the sky.  To complement the blue-green walls, I chose a textured gold duvet cover to fold up and lay across the bottom third of the proposed all white bed. The subtle chrysanthemum pattern adds interest and ties into the wall art nicely.

I know this isn’t a food blog.  In fact, I was not born with nor have I acquired a love or knack for cooking.  But there are 2 things that force me to cook {sometimes}:  I love to eat and I love to keep things cheap. Honestly, cooking is just another DIY project to me…minus the warm, fuzzy feeling. So, I hope you don’t mind if I share a {what-I-think-is} good recipe here and there.  Seriously, it won’t be that often because I don’t cook that often.  Just ask Handy Hubby.  He’s the head chef. In fact, the idea for this quick snack recipe came while reading Kristin van Ogtrop‘s {managing editor at Real Simple magazine} account of introducing her family to kale last year.  She mentioned making kale chips, and I love chips so I thought I’d give ‘em a try.  {This required me to buy kale for the first time in my life!}  Here’s what happened:

1 – Buy kale.

2 – Cut leaves off main stem.

3 – Tear leaves into chip-sized pieces.  Wash and dry in lettuce spinner.

4 – Place on non-insulated cookie sheet.  Drizzle over with a little olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.  Bake in oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes.  {Watch to make sure the edges of the chips don’t burn.}

Those are mine right out of the oven.  I probably could have used less olive oil.  But they were surprisingly good!  The even bigger surprise???  The pickiest, slowest eating, most indecisive, and difficult to feed 2-year-old LOVED the kale chips.

So maybe I cheated and let him dip them in sour cream, but seriously, it was the most green leafy vegetable that kid has consumed in all of his almost 3 years on earth.  I was amazed.  It was the first thing I told Handy Hubby when he walked through the door after work that day.  ”You’re never going to believe it!  Everett just ate a bunch of kale!”  I don’t think he quite believed me, but I’ve got the pictures to prove it.

I’m definitely going to have to make them again.  Just for this lil’ guy.

Now, that’s how you tweak a healthy veggie into a kid-friendly snack.  Have you tried any new successful recipes lately?  Do you have a picky eater in your house?  Maybe you eat kale regularly?  Take a break from home improvement and interior design today to tell me all about it.

images:  all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

I found a scrap piece of jute burlap at JoAnn’s a few months ago.  I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but I liked the texture and the price tag – just a few bucks.  So, I brought it home with me and stuck it in my craft closet.  While ‘shopping’ in the closet for my winter mantelscape, I rediscovered the burlap and decided it was a good, rustic texture for winter.  One morning I threw together this simple centerpiece wreath using my burlap scrap, twine and scissors.

I didn’t go by any tutorial.  I just kinda winged it.  If you wanna try it for yourself, follow these simple steps.

1 – Cut burlap into squares.  {Mine were roughly 3″ x 3″.}  No need to be precise.

2 – Fold burlap square in half and poke with scissors to make a hole.  Alternate placing the hole nearer the folded side and nearer the rough edges.  {Squares with holes nearer the fold will have rough edges facing out, while squares with holes nearer the rough edges will have folds facing out.}

3 – Thread burlap ‘ruffles’ onto twine…alternating as you go.  Folded side out, rough edges out, folded side out…until you have the size of wreath you want.  Then simply tie loose ends of twine together in a knot. Adjust burlap ruffles as needed.

I put my wreath around a Goodwill glass bowl and placed a tea light inside.  Then I propped the whole thing up on a cake stand.

It’s all things I love in one:  textural, shiny, white, simple and rustic.  Oh, and crazy cheap.  I love that too.  Couldn’t you see these burlap wreaths used as centerpieces at a wedding reception? They’d look lovely with soft flowers in smaller vases and tiny votives sprinkled around them in the middle of a table, no?

images:  all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

I’m guest blogging over at Bloom today.  It’s a post all about easy and unique ways to make your home more personal.  Click here to check it out.  If you’re wondering what Bloom is, this is what Emily and Anne have to say about it…in their own words…

“Home is the definition of God; a place of infinite power”
Emily Dickinson

We believe that. We also believe that it takes a mighty effort to make it so.
We believe in making the effort.

We also believe in:
mindful parenting
whole foods
kindness
creative play (for children)
creative outlets (for their parents)
graceful living
great books
home making
finding your passion
keeping your sparkle
“Living the life you’ve imagined” (a la Henry David Thoreau)

Lastly, we believe in evolution – that getting from where we are to what we imagine is a process.

If any of those ideas ring true to you, then you should hop on over to their blog for some inspiration on insightful living.  {See this amazing house tour for example.}  They’re proof that a passionate life indeed exists after childbirth.

Happy blog hopping!

images:  from Jordan’s Cicada Cottage House Tour via Emily & Anne at Bloom

Remember all those homeless {or shall I say roomless} doors down in our newly decluttered basement?  Ever wonder where they all came from?  Well, one is from our hall closet turned mini mudroom.  Another is from my craft closet.  And the rest we just recently removed from the master bedroom and bathroom.  We removed 2 narrow and cumbersome double doors from the entrance to our master bathroom.  {See the nearest doorway in the picture below.}  They never opened or closed very easily.  They were always getting jammed and sticking.  Plus, I didn’t like the way they opened into the bedroom.  As soon as we took ‘em off, going to the bathroom got a whole lot easier…well, getting to the bathroom not going to the bathroom, I guess.

We don’t plan on leaving the entrance wide open.  In fact, Handy Hubby has been hard at work using up more of those fence boards from his family’s old farm.  {Yes, that is a hint.}  Good thing. I’ve been burying myself with pillows in the mornings to keep the bathroom light out of my eyes while Handy Hubby is getting ready for work.  While we were at it,  I went ahead and removed the door to our water closet, too.  Including a linen closet door and the glass shower door, our bathroom came with 4 doors!  Really?  Who needs that many doors in a bathroom?  Plus, you can’t even see the toilet unless you’re on it, so removing these doors has opened up the space nicely and made it easier to maneuver around in there.

And since I already had the screwdriver out, I took off the door to our bedroom closet.  The previous door opened into the closet which took away some walking and {future?} wall storage space.  I plan on hanging a fabric curtain from the inside to keep closet clutter out of view from the bedroom.

That means we’ve got a lot of this going on right now…

We’re rockin’ the wood putty.  Well, Handy Hubby is rockin’ the wood putty.  My job is to sand and paint it.  That’s on my to-do list.  Somehow it keeps getting shoved down.

What about you? Have you ever removed a door in your home to improve mobility and traffic flow? I find it very freeing.  Obviously.  That’s 6 doors I’ve put out of commission since we’ve lived here. I may be taking the open floor plan concept to the extreme.

images:  all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

You know I’m a pillow fanatic, right?  To me, pillows are like jewelry or shoes.  Pair ‘em with an everyday ensemble {jeans and a t-shirt} for an instant uplift.  Same with pillows.  Toss ‘em around a neutral, casual room for added color, interest or texture.  They’re way underrated.

And you may also know that I like to hunt down my one-of-a-kind pillow covers over on Etsy.  In fact, the gray and white link patterned pillow shown above was a recent Etsy purchase, and today I’d like to share the shop from which it came because I’m so pleased with it.  Kyoozi offers handmade decorative pillow covers starting at $29.  Motifs include geometric, mod, ikat, nautical and floral.  The graphic prints below pack quite a punch.

While these geometric prints have a masculine feel to them.

Notice anything familiar?  {That last geometric one is the same exact cover shown in my bedroom above}. The ikat patterns available are both intricate and colorful…

…or simple and neutral.

That taupe and yellow one would fare well in my bedroom.  Hmmm.

And I think any of those floral ones could follow a girl from her nursery to her college dorm.  {They would look grand with gray walls, no?!}  Like what you see?  These are just a few of the items for sale in Kyoozi’s shop.  See more here.

Sometimes spending money on a minor detail {such as a pillow cover} can quickly turn homeowners away because they aren’t necessary for living.  However, I encourage you to mix-and-match your decor…price wise, that is.  Combined with an IKEA loveseat {or another affordable piece of furniture}, higher quality pillow covers can really make a statement and bring a room up a notch or two.  Give it a try!

FYI – I was not compensated in any way for this post.  I just love sharing great Etsy finds!

images:  collages made by Dana Miller for House*Tweaking using Kyoozi original images

We’re cooped up inside today while snow flurries down. No school, no work. I’m trying to keep my boys occupied without plopping them down in front of the TV or Wii. After suggesting we play a board game {‘no, too boring’} or read some books {‘no, we always do that’}, Layne resorted to his imagination. I love it when he does this.  Exhibit A demonstrating how pillows can be used as toys.

It’s a ‘pillow-cycle’, can’t you tell?

Little brother thought it was a good idea, too.

One of the benefits of having dozens of throw pillows throughout your house.  What will you use your imagination for today?

images:  all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

It’s been nearly 3 weeks since we dismantled our Christmas mantel.  Since then, I hadn’t done a thing with the mantel.  It was quite empty…until this morning, that is.  In between getting my kindergartener off to school and waiting for my toddler to wake {he’s like a sleeping dragon in the mornings…we try not to wake him unless we have to!}, I had a little time to play around with the mantelscape.  I took cues from the wintry landscape here in the midwest…fluffy snow, naked trees and gray skies.  That might sound depressing, but there is something simply beautiful about barren, snow-covered scenery.  Oh, and I didn’t spend any money.

I incorporated 3 elements:  snow white roses, bare branches and glowing candles.

Handy Hubby surprised me with roses yesterday.  And I mean ‘surprised!’  {Usually I only get flowers from him after I birth one of his offspring.  So, this is a big deal!} They just happened to be white.  I broke the grocery bouquet up into 3 separate arrangements for the mantel.  I like the way they mimic soft snow.

I plucked 2 bare branches from our backyard when I took the trash out this morning.  It doesn’t get any easier than that.  Or cheaper.  They bring an element of nature to the mantel.  I especially like how they twist and climb around the other pieces.

To keep things cozy and warm, I sprinkled in a few tea light candles.  All 3 candleholders are past Goodwill finds.  I love how the lit candles bring the mantel to life.  It almost like it’s living and breathing.  Here are a few more shots to make up for the lack of pretty pictures earlier this week…

As much as I would love some 70° weather {or just 50° would feel like summer at this point}, I’m trying to embrace the beauty of winter.  Especially since we’re in for more snow tomorrow.  What about you?  Have you tried using Mother Nature as inspiration for your decor?  She’s definitely my #1 inspiration.

images:  all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking

There’s a vacant one room school house that I pass on my way to work.  I’m enchanted by it. Maybe it has something to do with my love of school as a child or the fact that I wanted to be Laura Ingalls Wilder in Little House on the Prairie. {Once, I asked for and received a long skirt and shoes with wooden soles to role play in my tree house.  I liked the way my shoes sounded on the wood floor boards and gravel driveway.} Having lived in a 3-bedroom, 1-bath barn/home with my parents and 3 younger siblings for most of my life, I’ve always been fascinated by small spaces that work hard.  {That’s probably how our mini mudroom came about.}  There’s just something about using every square inch of living space to its full potential that feels good to me.  Sure, a room can look like a million bucks, but if it lacks function and ease then it’s not a room I feel comfortable in.  And I’m not talking about filling every square inch of space with stuff but rather making it useful.  {Empty spaces for walking, playing and letting the room breathe are very important.} So, I have a crush on this old one room school house.

I mentioned it to my grandpa the last time he visited us from Florida.  You should know that my grandpa knows everything there is to know about houses.  {My dad comes in a close second.} He’s built I-don’t-know-how-many with his own 2 hands {including some of my childhood homes}, and if Handy Hubby and I ever have questions about doing something house-related, we ask him. When I told my grandpa about the school house, he suggested I look up the property on the county auditor’s website.  Did you ever know such a thing existed?  It’s great.  It gives all sorts of information on the land and any buildings on the land…owner, age of building{s}, map, lot size, sales history, tax info, etc.  From the information provided on the auditor’s site, I discovered the owners lived on the land right next to the school house.  I instantly wanted to contact them, but I was afraid of scaring them.  After several weeks of contemplation, I finally wrote a letter.  I told them a little about myself and how their little school house had struck a chord with me. I asked them to contact me anytime in the way they felt most comfortable and gave my email, address, and phone number.  I was curious about the building:  was it a family heirloom?  had anyone they’d known attended school there?  what did they use it for?  what does it look like inside?  has it ever been lived in?  any particularly interesting stories about it?  That was about 3 weeks ago.  I haven’t heard back.  They probably think I’m some crazy lady, but I’m glad I wrote a letter.  Otherwise, I’d wonder all the time about what if I had written a letter.

What about you?  Is there a home in your area that you find yourself daydreaming about?  Did you know about the auditor website thing?  Share!

images: Warren County Historical Society

WARNING: NO PICTURES OF PRETTY INTERIORS IN THIS POST! But if you like a good decluttering before-and-after then stay with me.

I wouldn’t say my weekend was fun, but it was productive.  Cleaning out our unfinished basement was on 2010′s fall to-do list, and somehow we skipped right over it.  Life will do that to your to-do lists, you know. Anyhow, after I made the decision to really focus on reducing {stuff, stress, debt, etc.} this year, Handy Hubby and I scheduled for a babysitter to be at our house this past Saturday for 6 hours during the day. We knew if we were gonna make any kind of dent in the basement clutter, our boys would have to be preoccupied.  I’ve tried ‘organizing’ with our kids before.  It doesn’t work…at least for major organization sessions.  As soon as I have piles separated, *someone* starts pulling stuff out and I’m back at square one in 5 minutes.  Ahh!  So, yeah, we paid somebody to come play with the boys while we did a number on the hot mess in our basement.  Oddly enough, our babysitter’s mom just so happened to have a 15′ truck for the weekend that she kindly offered up to us for hauling junk away.  Score!  {Thanks Lydia and Sarah!}

Good thing…we had a lot of crap in the basement.  When we moved in 3 years ago, anything that we didn’t know where to put got thrown in the basement and was never seen again.  We also added to the chaos by dragging unwanted furniture, toys, electronics, etc. down there over time.  It all added up to one giant disorderly place.  And while we didn’t see the mess on a daily basis, I knew it was there…hidden by our tidy main floor.  I felt like it was a dirty secret I was keeping. Here I was decorating simply and telling you all how to disguise toy storage in your living spaces…all the while I had a dumpsterful of crap sitting in my basement.  Something had to be done.

In proper Mission Organization fashion, we hung signs around the basement categorizing each pile.

Handy Hubby and I spent 6 hours sorting through every last tote, bag and box, only coming up once for a quick lunch.  We kept a notepad in the ‘donate’ zone to write down each item we put in that pile…for tax deduction purposes.

We ended up with 4 pages of ‘donate’ stuff.  That was Saturday.  On Sunday, we loaded up our donation pile into the ‘big twuck’ {as Everett called it}.  Seriously, it took a BUH-zillion trips up and down those basement stairs.  It was 25° outside, but I was sweating with no coat.  Good workout. We didn’t have a babysitter for this part of the binge.  Everett was desperately trying to prove his big boy status by ‘helping.’  I had to keep opening bags and giving him something small to carry out to the ‘big twuck.’  His favorite part was walking up and down the loading ramp of the truck.  Here’s the ‘big twuck’ in all its glory right before we hauled it off to Goodwill.

This was the view from our front door this morning…

…notice the mongo trash pile on the curb.  We handed down the plastic storage bins to Handy Hubby’s folks who may be moving soon and just so happened to be in town for the day.  But enough talk.  Let’s walk the walk.  Check out these before-and-afters of the once furniture dungeon…

The items {doors, mirrors, old island countertop} propped up against the studs in the after shot are waiting to be hauled off to our local Habitat for Humanity ReStore.  Sadly, they aren’t open on Sundays.  The black chairs in the bottom right hand corner of the after shot were waiting for our brother-in-law to come pick them up.  They’re gone now!

Before, the ping pong table wasn’t getting any playtime.  It was acting like more of a workbench. Now, you could probably fit 5 ping pong tables down there.

Who knew changing the furnace air filter could be so easy without all that crap in the way?

The majority of the stuff we kept ended up in this bump-out under the sunroom.  In a few months, I plan on going through this keep pile and whittling it down even further.

That’s the view looking back toward the front of the basement where you come down the steps. Nice.  All-in-all the basement binge went off without a hitch.  Things did get a little hairy when this guy made an appearance.

That picture doesn’t do him justice.  He was easily the size of a ping pong ball.  Maybe he thought he was one since he was hiding out under the ping pong table.  I saved Handy Hubby from him. He’s not fond of spiders.  All the dust from the basement and salt from the walk {we didn’t want to slip on the ice!} got tracked onto the floors.  I spent the better part of the afternoon scrubbing them clean.

It feels so good to have a clutter-free basement.  I’m glad we finally wrestled it into submission, but I’m also looking forward to doing something fun next weekend.

images:  all Dana Miller for House*Tweaking