A Pinch of Joy

Caramel Apple Salad

Charlene — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:14:10 +0000

Wheels is a big butterscotch fan, but I’m not. So I was more than a little skeptical when this recipe for Caramel Apple Salad came into my hands. Butterscotch pudding?? And pineapple?? Try it, you’ll like it , my friend urged. Well, okay. I did. And you know what? She was right — I liked it! Of course, I had to tweak it a bit – can never leave a recipe as is!

This is one of those so good it’s like dessert salads that are always a hit at potlucks and gatherings. I use sugar free pudding mix to cut back on the total carbs, but you can use any instant butterscotch pudding mix. For the same reason, I only use half the crushed pineapple called for in the original recipe. You do NOT taste the pineapple at all in this recipe. It provides the moisture for the dry pudding mix and a bit of texture. Cool Whip or other whipped toppings have negligible carbs/calories. And, of course, the apples and nuts are healthy carbs/calories.

You can peel the apples, but it is not really necessary. I wash and quarter the apples and core them. Then I slice each quarter into four or five slices – but stop just before reaching the end so they are still fastened together. Quickly cut evenly across and the full length of the slices. You’ll end up with long even bits of apple with just a tiny bit of peel on one end. Not worth the time to peel for me. Mix the dry pudding mix directly into the apples, coating them well. Add the pecans. You can also used dry roasted peanuts when there is a shortage of pecans and prices are sky high – or just because you like them. We prefer pecans. Add the crushed pineapple and its juice, just as it is in the can, to the pudding coated apples and nuts. Stir thoroughly. Be sure there is no dry pudding visible anywhere. Then fold in the whipped topping, cover and refrigerate, overnight is best but at least two hours, before serving. I thought the bowl looked a little plain the first time so I added a bit of caramel sauce drizzled over the top and sprinkled a couple of tablespoons of toffee bits over it all.

In honor of National Salad Month here are a few more salads you might want to try: Layered Salad, Chicken Curry and Fruit Salad, Fruity Cranberry Relish and Bacon Potato Salad.

To save this recipe to your ZipList Recipe Box, click the blue button. To find out about ZipList and how it can help with your grocery list and more, click here.

Caramel Apple Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 8 hours

Yield: 8

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

A creamy, caramelly salad starring fresh apples and pecans!

Ingredients

4 medium apples, diced
2/3 cup pecans
1 pkg sugar free butterscotch pudding mix, dry
1 8 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice
8 ounce container of frozen whipped topping
1 tablespoon caramel sauce for drizzling on top, optional
2 tablespoons toffee bits for sprinkling on top, optional

Instructions

Peel apples, if desired. Quarter and core, then dice or chop.
Add dry butterscotch pudding mix to chopped apples. Stir thoroughly to coat apples.
Add pecans and crushed pineapple. Mix well.
Fold in thawed whipped topping.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Garnish with caramel sauce and/or toffee bits, if desired

Notes

Charlene @ A Pinch of Joy

http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2013/05/caramel-apple-salad/

Be sure to follow A Pinch of Joy so you don’t miss a thing! Subscribe by email or RSS, follow on facebook or twitter using the blue buttons on the header! If you found this helpful, please share on your favorite network by clicking one of the buttons on the bottom of this post. I’m so glad you stopped by today!

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Do not try this at home!

Fruit and Curry Chicken Salad

6 Steps to Healthier Eating Habits

Pineapple Bacon Bites

Layered Salad

Busy Monday #63

Charlene — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:04:02 +0000

At four o’clock the mail used to arrive in the small town where I spent part of my growing up years. People would begin to gather at the post office early and, while they waited for the mail to be sorted, would exchange the news of the day. Most of it was the “how’s your cold” variety, but when there was news of a more serious nature, people would go into action. A funeral and food would appear at the door, illness and transportation for treatments were quickly arranged, broken leg and someone was there to mow the lawn.

Our internet “town” is bigger, but people still want to help. A few months ago, Mallory Fundora asked for help in providing dresses for girls in Uganda. Danielle of Peanut Life Adventures saw the request and included making pillowcase dresses on her 14 projects before 2014 list, where I saw it. I contacted Mallory Fundora, a middle school student, and you can read her interview here. Then Kay of Jerry and Kay joined with a friend to make several dresses and blog about it. There is still time for you to make one (or more) pillowcase dresses – just have it to Mallory before May 28! My version of how to make a pillowcase dress with Mallory’s address. My pillowcase dress pinterest board for more ideas and inspiration.

Featured from last week

Click to view slideshow.

Welcome to all those who were first time linkers here! We had a fabulous variety of topics linked this week, thoughtful, insightful, helpful! And FUN! Here are just a few of the great ideas, recipes and projects y’all brought to the party! Thanks so much for sharing!!! Links: Your Home Based Mom – Crock Pot Balsamic Beef; The Measured Mom - Free Transportation Printables; The Moody Fashionista - Chocolate Dipped Potato Chips; Darlene Nemeth – How Random Acts of Kindness Improve Your Life; Half Baked Harvest – Kentucky Derby Pie Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars; 2 Crafty for My Skirt – How to tape a chevron pattern; An Extraordinary Day – This Moment

Let’s Party!

If you also host a link party, please feel free to add it to My Party Room. If you are looking for new linky parties to share or find inspiration, check out the great parties that have been linked.
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Add a Busy Monday button somewhere on your blog or a text link in your post (required for a feature).
Follow A Pinch of Joy in some way – one of those blue buttons in the header or sidebar.
Link directly to your post – anything family friendly that YOU created yourself. No link parties, sales pages, giveaways. Please do not repeat posts week after week.

Thank you for coming by to share your talent and great ideas on Busy Monday each week! GROW YOUR OWN BLOG! Visit other Busy Monday links and leave some goodness in the comment box. Follow on facebook, pinterest or other media and let the blogger know that you did. And if you were the recipient of all that sweetness — please return it and pass it on!

Busy Monday 05-03-12

Busy Monday - 18-03-12

Busy Monday Link Party - April 1

Busy Monday - week of July 1

Busy Monday - week of September 16

Five Things to know about replacing a chandelier

Charlene — Fri, 17 May 2013 01:12:28 +0000

A chandelier is jewelry for your room. It’s like the statement necklace or exquisite brooch that takes an outfit from good looking to beautiful. Chandeliers come in a variety of sizes and styles to fit any room or decorating style. Replacing your outdated light fixtures is an easy way to update a room. New lights add style, make a design focal point and provide illumination for living in that space. Chandeliers can be used in every room of the house, but they are most often the light fixture of choice for a dining room. Here are five tips to make choosing, installing and using your new chandelier easier!

1) Choose your style: Stroll through any home store lighting department and you will find contemporary, traditional and every style in between, a variety of materials and sizes. Choosing a chandelier is easier if you have some basics in mind before you stroll. I knew we wanted simple lines in a silver tone, soft white shades, a little on the large side to make it the focal point of the room. I wanted a serene feeling to the room to encourage lingering over a meal. Just those few elements eliminated a host of others and made the selection so much easier. As soon as we saw this particular fixture, both Wheels and I said “Oh, there it is!”

This is the one that we replaced – a shiny brass one that went to Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.

2) Choose where to hang your chandelier. Lighting for a dining room needs to illuminate the food and activity that center on the dining room table. At the same time you don’t want it to shine in anyone’s eyes, whether seated or standing. Hang the chandelier in the middle of the table location. If the table will set in the middle of the room, as it does in our dining room, then the chandelier will also hang in the center of the ceiling. The size of the chandelier is loosely based on the size of the room and the size of the table. Larger rooms will visually handle a larger chandelier. A narrow table calls for a narrow chandelier so diners don’t bump it when they stand. Our sleek silver light is 24 inches in diameter; the table is 40 inches across. This means the chandelier leaves 8 inches of clearance on both sides when the table is centered underneath. That is pushing the recommended 10 inches of clearance on both sides – but I did want something on the large side to make a visual statement!

The rule of thumb is to make the bottom of the chandelier hang between 30 and 34 inches above the table top. Have someone hold the chandelier at the ceiling and shorten or lengthen the chain until you determine the best height for your situation. Wheels is tall and Bytes is taller but the bottom of our new chandelier is thirty inches from the table. The curvature of the arms that hold the light is such that the lights set above their line of sight even when standing.

3) Read and follow directions. Switching out old fixtures is pretty straightforward. In most cases, you simply remove the old and attach the new fixture to the existing wires. However, read the directions that come with the new chandelier. They will tell you if additional support is needed to carry the weight of the chandelier. Follow those recommendations. If you’ve not done this diy task before, read through and understand the directions for removal of the old and installation of the new. Straining to read small print with the electricity off, nightfall darkening the room and the baby crying is stressful! If you don’t have a clear picture of the steps needed to accomplish this task, research it before you start.

4) Plan for safety. TURN OFF THE ELECTRICITY at the circuit box before beginning. Make sure you have the correct light bulbs before beginning (those directions again!) . Go get the step stool or ladder, instead of standing on the padded dining room chairs (or worse!) Gather tools you’ll need before starting. Have a helper standing by to receive the old fixture and to help lift and position the new chandelier. Leave a service loop when you shorten the electrical wire so you have enough to maneuver the new fixture and tuck everything into place.

5) Plan for versatility in your lighting. If you don’t already have one, consider installing a dimmer switch. This allows you to dim the lights and enjoy a romantic dinner for two or brighten them for a rowdy family birthday party for the two year old! Do not exceed the recommended wattage, but you might want to use a lesser wattage for more even light. Or clear bulbs vs tinted bulbs. If there is room to set a lamp or two, or add wall sconces or place flameless candles on furniture pieces, consider the atmosphere options they will offer. Lighting should make a room, the occupants, home furnishings and prized possessions look their best.

I found the ceiling medallion, new and in the package, at a garage sale for $2, much less than at the store! Here is how we created the faux tray ceiling and the chair rail installation is here. This is much better, don’t you think?

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Cheddar Chunk Green Pea Salad

Charlene — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:19:24 +0000

Green peas are a harbinger of springtime, one of the cool weather crops that begins to produce early. Green peas are a nutritional powerhouse, a legume rich in vitamins and minerals along with protein. Green peas make a delicious salad that Wheels calls “Traffic Light Salad” because it is red, green and yellow. Add these all together and Cheddar Chunk Pea Salad is the perfect salad to usher in National Salad Month, otherwise known as the Merry Month of May.

Peas are legumes, along with beans and lentils. They were one of the first crops to be cultivated by humans and were eaten dried (blech! Sorry . . .personal opinion . . disclaimer ) for thousands of years. They are now grown all over the world, with Canada as the major producer. If you are a gardener, you know peas will increase the nitrogen available in soil so fertilizers are not necessary and, when grown in rotation with other plants, will reduce pests. Peas are high in fiber, low in fat, with no cholesterol, 45% of your daily requirement of Vitamin K (important in prevention of osteoporosis) and significant amounts of other necessary vitamins and minerals. They have a substantial amount of protein, are a source of Omega 3 and Omega 6, and contain many anti-oxidants and anti inflammatories. These properties along with a relatively low glycemic index have recently focused attention on peas as a help in heart disease and controlling blood sugar levels. Who would ever have guessed???

If you buy cheese already cubed, cut the pieces in half so they are easier to eat with the salad. Use baby peas (no sauce) if you can find them, otherwise any good quality frozen pea will work. (I have eaten this made with canned peas too and found that good, although the texture was softer.) If you make this ahead, the flavors have a chance to meld and the cheese will soften. Make it just before serving, and the flavors are separate and everything crisp. If you want melded flavors AND “crisp” cheese, make the salad the night before and add the cheese just before serving. I’ve done all three and it gets eaten every time. But some people are particular about such things. J The lettuce leaf cup makes a nice touch if you are serving on salad plates. In that case you would probably only use half cup servings and the entire recipe would make eight servings. If you are serving family style for a hearty meal, servings would probably come closer to one cup and the entire recipe would make four servings. One cup servings are the basis for most of the nutritional values given above.

In honor of National Salad Month, here are some other salads you can find in the index above:

Cheddar Chunk Green Pea Salad

Yield: 8 onehalf cup servings or 4 one cup servings

Serving Size: 1/2 cup to 1 cup

Nutritious and delicious! Serve on lettuce cup for individual servings or serve up heartier family servings from the bowl.

Ingredients

1 12 ounce package frozen peas
¾ cup cheddar cheese cubes
1/3 cup diced red pepper
1/3 cup diced celery
2 green onions sliced thin
1/3 cup mayonnaise
½ teaspoon salt OR to taste

Instructions

Prepare, and slice or dice cheese, red pepper, celery and onions.
Rinse frozen peas to remove any ice crystals, drain briefly.
Mix all ingredients together in medium bowl.
Serve on lettuce leaf.

Notes

Charlene @ A Pinch of Joy

http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2013/05/cheddar-chunk-green-pea-salad/

I am so glad you stopped by! Follow A Pinch of Joy so you don’t miss a thing! Subscribe by email or RSS, follow on facebook or twitter! If you found this helpful, please share on your favorite network by clicking one of the buttons on the bottom of this post.

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Blushing Peach Pie

Chicken Mini Pockets

Sweet News about Dark Chocolate

Pork roast, sweet potatoes and fried apples

Five meals 300 (or less) calories

Busy Monday 62

Charlene — Sun, 12 May 2013 19:25:06 +0000

We’ve had a winter that wasn’t –a couple non-memorable storms and average gray days — but it won’t go away! We had a couple sunny days this week, but strong winds and now frost is headed our way! Hard to get motivated to garden when the wind is blowing your hair straight back and chilling your toes! But I’m confident we will eventually have spring. We are looking for plants with the shortest growing season possible though!

This past week, we anticipated spring (or anytime) celebrations with a recipe for the Perfect Punch and I gave up the secret to changing the mat colors for framed pictures in Renewing Art! And got lots of great ideas from those that were linked here last week! You all are fabulous!

Featured from last week:

Click to view slideshow.

Featured links: Chocolate, chocolate and more – Cake Batter Funfetti Pancakes; Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom – Tissue Paper Picture Frame; Miz Helen’s CountryCottage – Stacked Enchilda Casserole; Life After Empty Nest – Kicking the 80s Out of the Guest Bath; Sarah Howe – Taco Casserole ; Essentially Eclectic – DIY Edible Mud Mask

Let’s Party!

If you also host a link party, please feel free to add it to My Party Room. If you are looking for new linky parties to share or find inspiration, check out the great parties that have been linked.

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Add a Busy Monday button somewhere on your blog or a text link in your post (required for a feature).
Follow A Pinch of Joy in some way – one of those blue buttons in the header. I follow all linkers in some way!
Link directly to your post – anything family friendly that YOU created yourself. No link parties, sales pages, giveaways. Please do not repeat posts week after week.

Thank you for coming by to share your talent and great ideas on Busy Monday each week! GROW YOUR OWN BLOG! Visit other Busy Monday links and leave some goodness in the comment box. Follow on facebook, pinterest or other media and let the blogger know that you did. And if you were the recipient of all that sweetness — please return it and pass it on!

Busy Monday - week of May 20

Busy Monday - week of July 15

Busy Monday - week of November 25

Busy Monday - week of December 2

Busy Monday #60

How to make old art new again

Charlene — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:02:50 +0000

How to make old art new again. And make it coordinate with new room colors. And do it quickly, easily and at almost no cost. That was the challenge in our dining room makeover.

I found this picture at a garage sale a few years ago. Someone was selling off the almost new contents of their office, including artwork. This reminded me of a spot in one of our favorite hiking areas, a place called Highbanks, in the spring time. When I got it home, the title of the piece is “Spring”. It’s pretty good sized – 48 inches by 38 inches – and very heavy. For a while it hung in the living room. However, a perfect spot opened up when we did the dining room. Except the mat colors made it look way too heavy for the light, airy and meditative vibe I was going for. Plus I didn’t think they really conveyed “Spring”.

So I unceremoniously turned the picture upside down on the dining room table and began to disassemble it. I had pictures of the process but when we changed computers last fall, a whole bunch of photos came up missing. (Yes, the mat colors above were edited in.) So you’ll have to imagine the process. It was very simple actually.

I experimented with the color swatches for several days, trying different combinations to pick up different portions of the picture. I really liked the one that picked up the orangey color, but again the over all effect was not the serene feeling I wanted. Finally I decided to go with the wall color and the color of the adjacent hallway. They didn’t jar or call attention to themselves and blended with both the wall color (since it IS the wall color) and the colors in the picture.

I carefully removed the dust cover so I would be able to reuse it. Some are stapled on, the better ones are glued and a little tricky to get off in one piece. A sharp thin knife helps. Then I slipped out the mats, being very careful not to let them bend and become nicked or creased. I placed them on a tarp on the garage floor, which was the only work place big enough to hold them both flat.

Then . . . .the secret to new mats that are quick, easy and no cost. Drum roll please.

The very same paint that was used to paint the walls. Yes, just latex paint. I used a small roller just wide enough to cover the entire mat and quickly did a light coat of their respective colors to seal and prime the mat itself. When that dried in about 30 minutes. I came back with another coat. Thirty minutes later a third light coat. I let them dry over night to be sure they were thoroughly dry and would not stick to one another or to the glass.

I carefully cleaned the inside of the glass (and missed one fingerprint at the bottom that no one else can see but that screams at me!). Then I reassembled the entire thing, following exactly the same steps as in disassembling except in reverse. The hardest part was getting the dust cover on straight and in one piece, but even that was fairly easy.

There were so many options for color choice, but I like this one because it flows with the strong wall color and does not compete with the wall or the picture. That lets the print speak for itself. It does that and quite clearly too. When my friend saw it, she exclaimed “Oh, that’s the spot in Highbanks where my husband I go hiking.”

I don’t know if the artist even knew Highbanks existed when he painted it. But it was great to know that the print elicited the same thoughts of hiking on a beautiful spring day in at least two people.

I like art that speaks to people!

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Linking up to these awesome parties here and Sundae Scoop, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sunday Showcase, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday,.Manic Monday, ., Masterpiece Monday , Market Yourself Monday,. Made By You Monday , Motivate Me Monday , Marvelous Mondays, Time to Sparkle More The Merrier, In and Out of the Kitchen, Inspire Me Monday,. . Tasteful Tuesdays, Tutorials and Tips , Tasty Tuesday , Titus 2 Tuesday, Tuesdays Treasures , The Scoop, Gathering Spot, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday , Tuesday Talent Show, Tried and True, Back for Seconds Social, Wow Me Wednesday. . . Cast Party Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, The Creative Spark, Whatever Goes, Show and Share, We Did It!, , 36th Avenue, Tutorials tips and tidbits, Wonderful Wednesdays . . . Centerpiece Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday , Show Off Your Stuff, Hookin’ Up, , Share Your Creation, Chic and Crafty, Showcase Your Talent, Catch a Glimpse , Crafty Blog Stalker , Pin Inspiration Thursday, Grace at Home, Kitchen Fun, Tasty Thursday Thrifty Thursday. . . Flaunt It Friday, What’s Shakin . Inspiration Friday , Delicately Constructed , Simply Link Party, Foodie Friday, Weekend Wrap Up , Whatcha Got Weekend , The Grant Life , Shine on Fridays, Create and Inspire, Anything Goes. Simple and Sweet Fridays, Show and Tell Friday,Be Inspired Friday, Pinworthy Projects, Thrifty Things Friday . . What’s Shakin . Totally Overflowing, Strut Your Stuff Saturday , Serenity Saturday, Check Me Out, Saturday Night Special, Saturday Seven, Show and Tell Saturday, Saturday Dishes, A Bouquet of Talent,

Perfect Punch . . . lemon pineapple punch

Charlene — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:33:49 +0000

Otherwise known as Perfect Punch or Lemon Pineapple Punch, Snappy Punch is the name Wheels gave this refreshing drink,. As in “Got any of that snappy punch left?” There is never any left because everyone loves this golden nectar and it disappears in a flash where ever it is served. I’ve made it for baby showers, teas, wedding and anniversary receptions, girl’s night out and a “ladies who lunch” picnic. It fits all sorts of themes with its golden color and by repeating the recipe goes from intimate gatherings to big celebrations.

It’s also perfect to make just because you want to have a drink of snappy punch. I spied a can of pineapple juice in the pantry the other day. Made me remember how Wheels always missed out on the snappy punch so I made some just for him. We had a good laugh and some good punch for a couple of days.

It’s the perfect punch for any event. The flavors blend beautifully. You can’t taste the lemon or the pineapple because they make their own subtle flavor “snapped” up with the lemon lime soda. I used a packet of Country Time lemonade mix and Sprite. The lemon lime soda – any brand, diet or regular – gives it that little extra kick. You can add your own version of kick if you want when you make it. Serve cold. I’ve never added ice because the punch is gone before it reaches room temperature!

Sixteen 8 ounce servings or thirty-two 4 ounce (punch cup) servings.

Perfect Punch . . . lemon pineapple punch

Yield: Sixteen 8 ounce servings or thirty-two 4 ounce (punch cup) servings.

A light refreshing punch with a little "snap"!

Ingredients

1 cup lemonade mix, like Country Time
2 cups cold water
1 46 ounce can pineapple juice, chilled
1 liter bottle of lemon lime soda

Instructions

Mix together.
Keep chilled until serving time.
Before serving, garnish with lemon slices if desired.

Notes

Charlene @ A Pinch of Joy

http://www.apinchofjoy.com/2013/05/lemon-pineapple-punch/

To save this recipe to your ZipList Recipe Box, click the blue button. To find out more about ZipList, click here.

Linking up to these awesome parties here and Sundae Scoop, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sunday Showcase, On The Menu Monday, Mix It Up Monday,.Manic Monday, ., Masterpiece Monday , Market Yourself Monday,. Made By You Monday , Motivate Me Monday , Marvelous Mondays, Time to Sparkle More The Merrier, In and Out of the Kitchen, Inspire Me Monday,. . Tasteful Tuesdays, Tutorials and Tips , Tasty Tuesday , Titus 2 Tuesday, Tuesdays Treasures , The Scoop, Gathering Spot, Melt In Your Mouth Monday, Totally Tasty Tuesday , Tuesday Talent Show, Tried and True, Back for Seconds Social, Wow Me Wednesday. . . Cast Party Wednesday, Wow Me Wednesday, The Creative Spark, Whatever Goes, Show and Share, We Did It!, , 36th Avenue, Tutorials tips and tidbits, Wonderful Wednesdays . . . Centerpiece Wednesday, Full Plate Thursday , Show Off Your Stuff, Hookin’ Up, , Share Your Creation, Chic and Crafty, Showcase Your Talent, Catch a Glimpse , Crafty Blog Stalker , Pin Inspiration Thursday, Grace at Home, Kitchen Fun, Tasty Thursday Thrifty Thursday. . .I’m Lovin’ It, Flaunt It Friday, What’s Shakin .Foodie Friends Friday, , Inspiration Friday , Delicately Constructed , Simply Link Party, Foodie Friday, Weekend Wrap Up , Whatcha Got Weekend , The Grant Life , Shine on Fridays, Create and Inspire, Anything Goes. Simple and Sweet Fridays, Show and Tell Friday,Be Inspired Friday, Pinworthy Projects, Thrifty Things Friday . . What’s Shakin . Totally Overflowing, Strut Your Stuff Saturday , Serenity Saturday, Check Me Out, Saturday Night Special, Saturday Seven, Show and Tell Saturday, Saturday Dishes, A Bouquet of Talent,

Perfect Ear of Corn -- Take 2

Sunny Broccoli Salad

Mushroom Swiss Burgers

Planning a Tea Party Menu

Strawberry Pina Colada Dessert

Busy Monday #61

Charlene — Sun, 05 May 2013 22:07:09 +0000

A Pinch of Joy April Recap: Good eats, house projects, sewing for a cause and gardening (planning and hoping the weather will cooperate so we can garden!)

Cinnamon Swirl Oven Pancakes, Ham and Parmesan Mini Quiche, Chicken with lemon garlic sauce, Peppermint Patties

Free Printable Garden Journal, Removing Wallpaper, How to Make A Pillowcase Dress (plus Sewing for a Cause) , Where to Place a Chair Rail

Featured from last week:

Click to view slideshow.

Featured links: Pinch A Little Save A Lot – Money Management Essentials; The Pin Junkie - Homemade Refrigerator Pickles; The Thriftiness Miss – Flower Garden in A bag; Make It Cozee – Sleepover Invitations, Sourdough Native – Pot Roast Beef Dips; Back for Seconds – Salted Caramel Deep Dish Cookie Pie

Let’s Party!

If you also host a link party, please feel free to add it to My Party Room. If you are looking for new linky parties to share or find inspiration, check out the great parties that have been linked.

Add a Busy Monday button somewhere on your blog or a text link in your post (required for a feature). These links help us both .
Follow A Pinch of Joy in some way – one of those buttons on top. I follow all linkers in some way!
Link directly to your post – anything family friendly YOU created yourself and that has not been linked on Busy Monday in the past month. No link parties, sales pages, giveaways.

Thank you for coming by to share your talent and great ideas on Busy Monday each week! GROW YOUR OWN BLOG! Visit other Busy Monday links and leave some goodness in the comment box. Follow on facebook, pinterest or other media and let the blogger know that you did. And if you were the recipient of all that sweetness — please return it and pass it on!

Busy Monday - 11-03-12

Busy Monday - April 29

Busy Monday - week of October 21,2012

Busy Monday - week of January 13,2012

Busy Monday - week of February 3

More Pillowcase Dresses

Charlene — Sat, 04 May 2013 18:12:52 +0000

Sharing four more pillowcase dresses I made for a cause.

You can read about the Pillowcase Dress Drive here

and about the extraordinary young leader who initiated it here.

It’s not too late to start sewing!

All you need is twenty minutes (or less) and one yard of fabric (or less).

Here’s how to make a pillowcase dress – my version

Or check out my Pinterest Pillowcase Dress Board for more inspiration and tutorials.

Send completed dresses to: Mallory Fundora, Project Yesu, 1178 Willow Bend Drive, Clarksville, TN 37043

before May 28.

I am so glad you stopped by! If you found this inspiring, please share on your favorite network by clicking one of the buttons on the bottom of this post.

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Take time for you . . . .

How to Install a Chair Rail

Charlene — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:35:30 +0000

You can purchase 12, 10 or 8 foot lengths of moulding and trim. Before buying, measure the room and take note of windows and doors. Determine the longest unbroken run and that will determine the length of the stock moulding. For example, if the measurement is over 10 foot, buy 12 foot long stock. This will allow you to make as few splices as possible and save you time and work. With a little thought, you can figure out how to make those three dimensions work in your room to make as few cuts as possible. Just be sure the pattern is exactly the same in all lengths. Remember when figuring length of stock that straight ends will butt up against door and window frames but that corners will require an extra inch at least in order to make the diagonal cuts necessary for fit. (And don’t worry if you come out with a bit of extra footage — that’s your insurance policy against mistakes!)

All the woodwork in our home has been painted white, so when we purchase new trim or molding I go for the preprimed stock. I also give it at least one coat of the finish paint before doing anything else with it. It’s much easier to paint when it is laying flat and no worries about getting paint on a wall.

Once you’ve determined the height of your chair rail, and are ready to install, grab your tape measure and level to make a level line along the whole length of the room. Floors are not always level, so measuring up from the floor could give you a wavy line. It might be parallel to the floor but make you seasick to look at it!

A quick way to make a line is to measure up from the floor at two points and have a helper hold one end of a chalk line while you draw the line taut, hold it securely in place and snap the line. Check the level of the line it’s full length with a carpenter’s level. Adjust as needed to make sure the finished line is level all the way round the room. A good laser level (the kind that comes with it’s own tripod) can be helpful, especially if you working solo. In that case, get the beam set across the entire wall and check the measurements from the floor at several places to make sure the rail will be installed where you expect it to be.

In new construction, workers will often cut all the moulding before installation. Our experience in older homes is whatever the project, it is better to cut as you go. That way it’s easy to make minor adjustments and to custom cut each piece so it fits perfectly – or at least as close to perfect as it can get. One wall in our dining room has a very noticeable bow. You can actually measure where it dips in a full ¾ of an inch! .

The cutting and installation was Bytes’ contribution. I’m on the other end of the tape measure, holding long boards when they are being sawed and acting as general picker upper and gofer. (Wheels’ long work hours keeps him in an advisory position ) The dining room was our first trim project in this house. We weren’t sure how it would work out or if we would want to do another one again. Minimal investment was to find the hand miter saw in the garage so Bytes did all the work in by hand. It was a little more time consuming but not hard to do.

Begin installing at an inside corner . Measure from the corner to the next natural stopping place. That may be a door, a window or the next corner. Doors or windows generally call for a straight cut on your moulding. Inside corner cuts are done at a 45 degree angle with the part of the moulding that goes against the wall the longest part of the angle. We call those “innies” because the cut goes in towards the wall with the longest part next to the wall. Both pieces of moulding are cut the same at the corner. They will butt up against each other and make a square corner.

An outside corner is cut with the longest part of the moulding on the outside and the short cut right on the corner of the wall. Those are “outies” If it is necessary to splice two pieces of moulding, make 30 degree cuts. One piece will be an innie and on the second piece the cut will be an outie. It doesn’t matter which is which as long as you are consistent in the way you cut the splices thoughout the room.

To install, put the bottom (or top if that’s the way you measured — no right or wrong way) of the molding on the level line that you drew. Check to make sure the moulding is level before beginning nailing. Use a 2 /12 inch finishing nail at the high parts of the molding to prevent splitting. If the chair molding is narrow, one nail every 12-18 inches, depending on the placement of the wall studs, will suffice. Wider molding may need a nail at the top and another at the bottom directly below the first. We did it the classic way with a hand held hammer!

Use glue ONLY when joining one piece of trim to another, if then. We didn’t. It is not be necessary to glue the trim to the wall because the nails will hold it securely. In fact, if you (or the next owner) want to remove the trim at some point, glue will turn that job into a very expensive and time consuming mess. Removing something glued to wall board generally destroys the top layer at a minimum, requiring patching, and can ruin the board to the point that it must be replaced entirely.

Use a nail set to recess the nail heads just below the surface of the wood.

This is where I begin to prepare the trim for painting. Fill the nail holes with paintable caulk or joint compound. Apply a bead of paintable caulk to the edge of the molding where it meets the wall, and fill in any other holes or gaps if needed. Paintable caulk is what we used in the dining room. Test its paintability in a corner before doing the whole room if you haven’t used that particular brand or kind before, because results can vary. You can also use joint compound to fill in openings and cracks. Use either one sparingly. A wet rag or sponge to wipe up excess with both is very helpful.

Sand smooth when dry. I picked up a set of small scale power tools at a garage sale a couple of years ago. The contractor selling them considered them a joke gift he couldn’t wait to get out of his sight. Well, I looove them!!! They are all lightweight, which is a big consideration for me. The detail sander with its 3 inch triangular head is just the perfect size to make sure the places that were filled are smooth and as invisible as possible.

To finish the project, apply your choice of paint to the chair rail to give it a clean, finished look.

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