Beautify your bathroom

So… who likes a pretty bathroom? That may sound pretty silly, BUT true to our line "where practicality becomes beautiful", we believe lots of everyday, ordinary things should (and can) be beautiful. Why not a bathroom too? All that being said, here we are with another tutorial for you all. Give it a whirl and see what you think! Isn't the bathroom pretty after all?

Tank Set Tutorial

1:: Begin by using freezer or craft paper to trace around you toilet lid. Take off your tank lid and lay upside down on paper, tracing around it as well. Cut out shapes.

2:: After deciding on what fabrics you would like to use (scraps are great for this too!), patch 2 tops in random fashion. Now use the patterns you made in Step 1 and cut your patched tops to fit your toilet lid and tank lid.

3:: Cut piece of batting and one piece of solid or patterned backing (old sheeting works well) larger then patched pieces.

4:: Lay out– in this order– backing (right side down), batting, and patched piece (right side up) in a stack. Pin together. Quilt by hand or use fancy machine stitch to hold all your pieces together.

5:: Trim off extra backing. Zigzag around edge of both your tank lid top and your toilet lid top to secure all sides/pieces together.

6:: Next, measure around your toilet lid and tank lid separately.

7:: Cut strips of fabric 3 5/8" wide x distance around + 1/2" (for seam allowance) for both toilet lid and tank lid. Make sure your fabric matches or coordinates with the fabrics used in your patched tops (Step 2), since this will show!

8:: Sew the cut strips into a "necklace", using 1/4" seams.

9:: Pin your "necklace" (the one you cut for your toilet lid) to the top of your toilet lid patched cover, right sides together. Sew using 1/4" seams. Now do the same for your tank lid.

10:: Fit on lids to make sure all is coming out right!

11:: Make casing on both your patched lids by turning down 1". Pin and stitch, being sure you leave an opening for inserting elastic.

12:: Using measurements taken in Step 6, cut (for both your toilet lid and your tank lid) 2 2 1/2" strips for ruffles. We like to make our ruffles about double the measurement of the toilet and tank lids.

13:: Sew 2 ruffle strips together– hem on top and bottom. Run gathering stitch around top. Repeat for other ruffle.

14:: Mark lid covers in quarters. Mark ruffles in quarters. Pin ruffle to lid, matching quarters, with wrong side of ruffle facing right side of lid cover. Stitch right inside edge of lid.

15:: Insert elastic. (Measurement of lid around from Step 6. Our measurement was 48" and we cut our elastic at 34".) Close casing.

Ta-da!

We used fabrics from the Darla collection (in pinks & reds) for this project!

sisters and aprons~

the crowning project

And here we are… the crowning project of Nanny's visit! What a perfect slam-bang finish to a wonderful time!

Mom was really feeling the need for some new pillows out of one of her favorite fabric lines, Ava Rose. A little change every once-in-awhile is good for you! SOOO….

What can we say? We got sewing. Ahh… perfect. Just what the doctor ordered.

Remember the quilt? And now, everyone is probably wanting a little more background on "everything"… okay, we'll let you in on a few little secrets.

::the "mr. and mrs." pillowcases are vintage. We thought a little simpleness would be so pretty. Too much pattern is too much of a good thing!

::the floral pillow (on the left, second row) is actually a tablecloth. Faded and just right. (We were really amazed at how the faded one matched the Ava Rose fabric so perfectly!)

::you've probably already guessed… the lace on the front, long pillow is vintage too! Couldn't resist.

::the big pillow (right in front of the mr. and mrs. ones) is patched just like one of our brooke bags! We added a couple lace pieces to it too!

::last, but not least the velvet. Actually, a curtain from Target (Shabby Chic line). Mom had such a remarkable idea to buy it! We added it to the patched pillow, the front, long pillow, and the one on the right is COMPLETELY velvet. Ruched (or gathered, right Nan?) all up perfectly. Personally, that almost seems like the crowning point of all the gorgeous pillows!

A couple more pictures of some of Mom's other "pretties".

oh-so-good

Really, who doesn't like breadsticks? It's one of those things you want so bad, so you go to Olive Garden or Fazolis, right? No more– your horrible craving can be satisfied right at home! We found this oh-so-good breadstick recipe about a week ago and have probably made it 7 times… breadsticks with spaghetti, breadsticks with pizza, breadsticks as a snack… you get the idea.

They are pretty simple so why don't you make them real soon? Pop a pizza in the oven, get your breadsticks made, put a good, classic movie on (don't forget the coke!), and you're set!

Have a beautiful evening filled with everything wonderful!

xo, the Long ladies

Oh-So-Good Breadsticks

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 cup warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 1/2 cups flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the rest of your ingredients and mix. Dump onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes (your dough should be smooth). Seperate the dough into 8 pieces and roll out into long strips the size of a restaurant breadstick. Place on baking sheet and brush with melted butter. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes. (10 minutes should be perfectly ample, unless you like your breadsticks browned on top.) Take out of oven, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Yum!

Users warning: This recipe only makes 8 breadsticks, so go ahead and plan a couple batches.

oh, darn!

Nan did a whole lotta this when she was here…

Not that we darn everyone's socks. But Mom loves the way patched-up socks feel. So Nanny mends hers, naturally.

By the way, did y'all know that you can order Good Folks and Garden Party at 15% off, by mentioning "good news" in the note to seller box? Just checking. (Sale ends February 18th!)

xo~ the Long ladies

Apphia’s room~

I love, love, love my bedroom– it is so Apphia, as Mom would say. Pink and gold and black and white, with punches of turquoise to keep it interesting.

First of all, my new addition… a gorgeous pink mirror! I found the old window at a flea market for $8. And it was just so perfect for my room that we couldn't pass it up. Dad (who can do everything, by the way) fixed it up for me. Nan helped me add the finishing touches when she was here!

I'm really not sure how I came up with the idea to use the widow as a mirror. But the mirrors cost way more than the window. Gulp. The brass sconces were flea market finds, with candles from Hobby Lobby (at half price, of course… you see how I'm making up for the $$ of the mirrors by purchasing everything else at bottom dollar? Good girl.)… Nan found the fabulous tray at a garage sale.

The pillows~

The matching valance above the closet door (we made curtains when Nan was here!)~

Nick-nacks~

My flea-market-find-magazine-rack and dresser~

My nightstand (thanks, Paps- I love you!) and little gold chair~

Other pretties (the lovely lamps belonged to Nan & Paps years and years ago… they are some of my favorite things!)~

sloppy jack~

It never seemed fair to us to name a sandwich after Sloppy Joe. What about Sloppy Sam, or Sloppy Jim, or Sloppy Bob, or Sloppy Tom? So we've named ours something different every time… this big, gooey, sweet-n-sour meat sandwich is Sloppy Jack.

Nanny is head sloppy joe– er, sloppy jack— maker around here. She's the best! Would you like to know her secret recipe?

We thought so!

Nanny's Sloppy Jack (or whatever else you may like to call it)

~ground beef– browned with chopped onion– grease drained

Now this is the fun part. Add…

~ketchup (quite a lot)

~mustard (a little pile)

~brown sugar (a big spoonful or two)

~apple cider vinegar (just a touch)

~garlic salt (a pinch, you know)

Mix it all up. Taste test. Add more ingredients to suit your personal tastes. Heat thoroughly. Simmer for at least 15 minutes. It should end up looking something like this:

Sorry for the vague ingredient measurements. But really, it's up to you. Nanny never measures.

Voila!

What we’ve been doing the past 10 days…

Here we are, back again! We have had some busy, fun, full days. Sorry we couldn't keep all of you posted through the whole thing, but we were too busy! We'll have to split this up into a few posts…

Achaia's Dresser… Reorginazation and POP! We didn't buy one new thing. Just moved things around the room. The canisters are a flea market find and the letters are from her graduation party.

Abigail and Abiah's Dresser… Full and fun! We did buy the boxes at the left end of the dresser (Hobby Lobby 25% off coupons!). The doll was Nanny's when she was a little girl. Abiah's been making lots of crocheted washcloths…

Of course, we had to make some flea market stops, plus Mexican food.

We did quite a bit of this, too!

It was one wonderful time. More pictures on the way!

Nanny is here.

So let the games begin!!!

did we ever tell you about…

Now available through our website!

~Hello Betty~ talk about cute, retro flair. Oh the adorable aprons to be made from these colorful, happy fabrics!

~Essential Dots~ what could be more delightful than the perfect polka dot in every color of the rainbow?!