Janet Shirey a.k.a. "Mama J": March 2012

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Simple Mesclun Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts & Simple Olive Oil & Vinegar Dressing with Fresh Herbs

I'm moving my recipes to my new blog, bitch in the kitch[en].

Click here to view the new home for this recipe.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Pomegranate Lemon Spritzer (variation: Pomegranate Lemon Raspberry Spritzer)

Click here for the permanent home for my recipes, my new blog "bitch in the kitch[en]".

New Life for an Old Chalkboard

I'll be honest. I've had this old chalkboard for years. If I had to guess, I'd say I picked it up at the "still good" shed at the dump at least 6 years ago. Since then, it's been propped up against the wall in my kids toy nook (since we moved into the house almost 5 years ago) & occasionally when they used it, it would fall on the floor but I didn't want to mount it to the wall until it was given new life. So it's long overdue for a facelift. ;)

What you need:

An old chalkboard
Chalkboard paint
Paint in a color of your choosing for the frame
1" paint brush
Old newspaper
4 screws
Drill with drill bit
Screw driver

1.) Wipe down the chalkboard with water & wait to dry

2.) Place newspaper under the frame.
3.) Paint the chalkboard with chalkboard paint, 2 coats, waiting in between each coat for the paint to dry.
4.) Paint the frame with your chosen color, 2 coats, waiting in between each coat for the paint to dry.

5.) Using your drill & drill bit, drill 4 holes in the frame to mount the chalkboard to the wall.
6.) Using your screwdriver, screw the screws through the frame & into the wall. (I prefer using a hand-held screwdriver over a drill to screw screws in when I'm doing certain projects, so I'm more certain not to strip the screws).

This is now a well-used facet of my kids' toy nook.

Enjoy!! :)

Saturday, March 3, 2012

March 2012 Snow Storm

After shoveling our driveway & playing with our son for about an hour and a half, it was time to play with my camera.

(The entire album is available on my Facebook page as well. If you would like to purchase any of the photographs in print or greeting card form, please contact me via Facebook or Etsy and I would be happy to give you a quote. If you enjoy my photography, won't you consider liking me on Facebook? Thank you!)

"Snow on Branch" Study in Landscape

Jaffrey, NH

3/1/12

"Snow on Branch" Study in Portrait

Jaffrey, NH

3/1/12

"Icicle Drips"

Jaffrey, NH

3/1/12

"Snow Hugs"

Jaffrey, NH

3/1/12

"Snow on Branch" Study in Landscape II

Jaffrey, NH

3/1/12

"Snow Settled on Birch"

Jaffrey, NH

3/1/12

"Wrinkles"

Jaffrey, NH

3/1/12

"Snow Settled on Paper-white Birch"

Jaffrey, NH

3/1/12

"Snow Settled on Birch" II

Jaffrey, NH

3/1/12

After spending a few hours warming up inside, I decided to brave the snowy roads & take a quick loop around Jaffrey and Peterborough.

The Clay Library

Jaffrey, NH

3/1/12

"Welcome to Jaffrey"

The Clay Library

Jaffrey, NH

3/1/12

Downtown Peterborough Lights

Peterborough, NH

3/1/12

Coll's Farm

Jaffrey, NH

3/1/12

Downtown Peterborough Icicles

Peterborough, NH

3/1/12

Harlow's Pub

Peterborough, NH

3/1/12

"Have a Seat?"

Peterborough, NH

3/1/12

After a long day of being stuck inside the house with the kids, cleaning & organizing my office area, doing laundry & dishes, I decided to go out for a drive. Fortunately, even though the snow wasn't terrible wet, it stuck to the trees remarkably well over night.