What To Do With...

I am thinking of starting a new series called What To Do With...
I'll try to come up with some creative ways to use our favorite items in new ways. One such item is clip on earrings. If you've ever had a grandmother with a love for jewelry then chances are you have a drawer or box full of some fun and funky clip on earrings. These make great additions to necklaces, shoes, purses, bows on gifts, set out in a bowl, gift tag holders, clipped to a ponytail rubberband, even on shirt and coat collars. I've got a couple photos of some of the earrings I have and how I've put them to use. How about you?

Also, do you have any items you love but don't know what to do with it?  Post a comment and let's get creative!

Decorating for Home Selling

Don't think you need to decorate when selling your home?  Wrong!  When selling or preparing to sell your home, decorating is essential.  It can give a great first impression to realtors and potential buyers if done well or leave a really bad one and turn realtors away which also loses those buyers for you.  It is easy and doesn't have to cost much if anything at all.

One main rule is to make sure you declutter your home.  This is probably the most important one and can really set the tone for whether or not your buyer will really give your home a chance or not.  When decluttering this also goes for closets.  The less crammed full a closet is the bigger and more spacious it appears.  And who doesn't want large spacious closets?  Take out some of those out of season clothes and pack them away under your bed or in the attic.  Lose some shoes too, like the worn old dirty ones!  Go through all your closets, even the one in the front wall.  Organize, lose anything unnecessary, and clean it up.  Paint a light color to open it up or install lights if there aren't any and the lighting is low.  This really does make a big impact on potential buyers.

Another easy way to improve your homes sellability is curb appeal.  Clean out the flower beds of weeds and debris.  Trim bushes and keep the lawn mowed and water.  When the outside looks well taken care of then the buyers will be more apt to come in.  And that's where you want them - inside.  No one buys a house they haven't been in or don't want to go in.  It's worth the couple of hours a week it takes to clean  up around the house.  Also keep those walkways swept.  It's the simple things that make the most impact!

Another area that gets overlooked are the bathrooms.  Take out all those bottles and jars of lotions and creams and soaps.  Clear those counters, fold those towels, clean the shower shelves off and clean around the base of the toilet!  Again clean, tidy and spacious are the goals.

Kitchen counters should get a good decluttering too.  Pack away any unused or barely used appliances, decorative knick knacks and what nots.  Show off your best qualities and hide those unsightly ones! Clean the cabinet doors, refrigerator -inside and out- and stove tops.  Scrub tile grout and shake out the rugs.  See if it is something you would want to purchase yourself. 

The final area to keep an eye on is your tabletops.  No one needs to see 25 pictures of you and your family and friends or all the collections you have or even how many candles you can group together.  Seems a silly thing to worry about when what you are trying to sell is your home but honestly most people can't see past your decorations so how your house looks and FEELS makes a big impact on their decision as to whether or not they want to buy.  Just pack away your perfume bottles and your child's collection of hairbows and jewelry.  store the pictures, except for 2 or 3 and let your house scream out "look at me! I'm tidy.  I'm clean. I'm spacious and very well taken care of." 

Don't forget your realtor.  They've probably got lots of ideas to help you prepare your home for their buyers.  Ask and Listen!  It could mean the difference between "asking price" and "reduced to sell".

Oatmeal Monster Cookies

These are by far the favorite cookies in this house and they are so versatile that I am sure they will soon become the favorite in yours too.  It does make a large batch and the dough is hard to mix towards the end so if you have a Kitchenaid mixer then you may want to pull it out.  Save your muscles for eating these delicious cookies.  :)

2 cups flour
1.5 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 sticks butter
1 1/3 cups light brown sugar
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
4 cups quick cook oats
2/3 cups chopped pecans
2/3 cup chocolate chips
2/3 cup shredded coconut
2/3 cup M&M
2/3 cup raisens

combine 1st 3 ingredients in a bowl and set aside
in large mixing bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy, add eggs and vanilla and beat until well blended.  Next add flour mixture to creamed mixture in 4 additions, beat on speed 2 until well mixed.  Add in oats in 4 additions.  add rest of the ingredients, 1 at a time on low until blended. 
drop by rounded tablespoons onto greased cookie sheet. 
Bake at 350* for 10-12 minutes. remove from cookie sheet and cool on wire rack.
ENJOY!

Vintage Jewelry

Vintage Jewelry.

It's all the rage.

But where to start and what to get are a mystery to those who've never collected it before. One place to start is with a style you love. 50's, 60's, 70's or even Victorian. There are so many options. Also gold, silver, brass, rhinestone, gemstone, filigree, etc. Which ever you choose you do need to make sure it is good quality and a good investment, which is pretty easy with the internet right at your fingertips. You can also feel the difference, a good quality piece will be heavier and feel more solid by touch, the cheap stuff feels - well cheap!. Also if it has a stamp of 925 on it that means it is silver (even if it has a gold overlay), good to know when looking at costume jewelry from around the 50's because it puts it at a higher value than similar pieces done in pot metal or brass. Those older costume pieces are just far superior than costume pieces of today. And they have maintained or gone up in value over the years. This is by no means all there is to know about vintage pieces, just a few little hints to help you get started. Just know that once you get into it, you'll find that all this new jewelry just "loses it's luster". haha. bad joke, I know. Well here are a few of my favorites along with some of the ways I use them. And some of these pieces will soon be available at thecoralfish.etsy.com

Enjoy!

Vintage Brooches, not just for sweater sets!

You can find such a wide variety of brooches in so many places now and they make a great and inexpensive way to liven up just about anything! You can use them on purses, bags, clutches, jackets, blazers, pillows, in your hair -with a rubber band or clip to hold in place, or even apllied to a picture frame. The possibilites are endless.

When shopping for these wonderful pieces keep in mind what you will be using it for so as to make sure you get a quality to match it's use. For example, on a purse you will want one that is sturdy and has a strong clasp. For a frame you can get by with inexpensive one.

And don't be afraid to haggle over the price. Make an offer! Often they won't turn you down. And newer doesn't usually mean better quality. I have found that costume jewelry from around the 50's is made of silver (stamped 925) and has a gold overlay. The stones are sometimes real gemstones. So have fun, get informed, and know what you're looking for. It's easy with the help of the internet. Learn to read the stamps and you'll be amazed at what you might find!

the holiday table

there's a chill in the air and the leaves are on the ground. company usually follows. this year set your table using your favorite things. I was always finding chips in my plates from years of hand washing and from training little ones to clean up after themselves. So instead of tracking down miscellaneous pieces to try and recomplete my set, I turned to antiques and consignment stores to find pieces that I loved and could work into my everyday table setting as well as coordinate with my special occasions china. I chose to go with all white dishes which makes my table great for year round entertaining and allows me to go wild with table cloths, napkins, etc. and seasonal decorations. My sister is now doing the same using transferware in her favorite colors. It also makes for a fun collection and is easy and fun for friends and family to add to your collection. Here are some photos of my table along with some pieces available for purchase at thecoralfish.etsy.com

What are some of your favorite table decorating ideas?

Valentine Sugar Cookies

These are the best sugar cookies and so easy to make.

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

3 cups flour

1/8 tsp salt
add food coloring to dough as desired

Beat butter until creamy, gradually add sugar. Add egg and vanilla, beat well. Add flour and salt, beat well. Cover and chill at least 1 hour. Roll 1/4 inch thick, cut into shapes and bake at 350* for 6-8 minutes. Cool on pans 1 minute then move to wire racks. Decorate!