- Julianne Leave a comment

Autumn in everything

As I walked this morning the wind spoke so many truths to me. I watched the trees bending and giving way to the wind’s touch. They relinquished their dead leaves without a fight. I found myself wanting to let go of my dead leaves, too. Turn over a new leaf, I suppose. Too many leaf references? I think not (hey, at least I didn’t say anything about the “winds of change”). I remember reading a story in Women’s Wear Daily about Nora Ephron after she passed, and something that she said really stuck with me. She said that you could do more than one thing, and that every 10 years she would reinvent herself. She encouraged other women to do the same. I had always rejected the idea of reinvention for myself. While it’s appealing to change, and even though I have changed already, I feel like I must outwardly remain the person everyone knows me to be. I think I just need to let go of that and let the wind carry that person away along with the leaves and my trepidation. 

“Aprils have never meant that much to me, autumns seem that season of beginning, spring.” -Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Some things have already changed and more changes are coming for my family and for the blog. “A change will do you good.” Thanks, Sheryl Crow. Something you failed to mention is that a great deal of change all at once is likely to drive you crazy. Even when all
of those changes are good things, it can be tough. It just so happens
that the changes happening for my family are all positive ones, but we are still trying to adjust. Jeremy started a new position that changed his workweek from five 8-hr days to four 10-hr days, Young Master Gray started going to daycare two days a week in September,  and I am working more on this blogging thing than ever. Stay tuned for a new blog design I have in the works! (I am really excited about this particular change.) Then there’s the ongoing remodel that seems to keep our home in a constant state of chaos and upheaval. Of course, these are all favorable changes that I am thankful for, I just need for us all to finally hit our stride so things can run a bit more smoothly.

I originally planned to come on here and write about the fall adventures we’ve had so far, but I think I’ll leave that for another post. Here is a sneak peek:

- Julianne 2 Comments

10 Myths about Domestic Violence

This month’s #NWARKCares cause is a tough one to talk about.
It’s tough because in 2015, I feel like domestic violence should be a thing of
the past. But it’s not. It’s hard because it’s not something that people want
to talk about, which is exactly why the topic needs to be broached. It’s hard
because people close to me have been victims of domestic abuse. Three out of
four Americans know someone who has been victimized domestically. If we keep
silent then those statistics simply will never improve. 

Because many are so reticent to speak out on the subject, there
are countless misconceptions about domestic violence that are accepted as truth.
These myths about domestic violence only serve to perpetuate the violence.

Myth 1:

Only women are affected by domestic violence.

While it is true that women are targeted more often than
men—1 in 3 women compared to 1 in 4 men are victims of domestic violence—abuse
against men does happen. If domestic abuse is a hush-hush topic already, then
speaking out about abuse against men is almost nonexistent. Unfortunately, this
happens in both the heterosexual and homosexual communities.

When I was a young manager for Dillard’s in Dallas, I had an
employee that I will call Sam. Sam was a flamboyant, happy-go-lucky, young man.
He was openly gay and was in a relationship with a man that I remember as
middle-aged and dowdy. When Sam came to work with a black eye one day, I was understandably
concerned. I asked him what happened, but didn’t press the issue when he didn’t
want to talk. As time went on, Sam began to open up to me about the physical
and emotional abuse that he endured at the hands of his partner. At the time, I
had never encountered a male victim of abuse, nor had I even imagined that it
was possible.

If he had been a woman, I know that I would have suggested
any number of resources that are available to female victims of domestic
violence. However, I could think of nothing to offer besides my support if he
chose to leave his abuser. Sam ended up leaving Dillard’s after an accident put
him in the hospital. Whenever I went to visit him at the hospital his partner
was always present, acting the doting caregiver. I will never know if he truly
suffered an accident or if things escalated with his partner.

You may be surprised to know, as I was, that there are resources for male victims of domestic violence. The Northwest Arkansas Women’s shelter states on their website, “Domestic violence does not discriminate; therefore, our clients are from
across all demographics in terms of age, gender, race, socioeconomic
status, and educational background. We assist any person who meets the
criteria for emergency intervention and assistance due to domestic
violence or sexual assault.”

Myth 2:

Abuse is deserved.

Victims of domestic abuse need support, not judgment. The
women and men who are abused usually already have the idea in their head that
they deserve to be treated they way they are treated, or that something that
they have done has caused the abuse. This simply is not true. The only person
responsible for abuse is the abuser.

Myth 3:

Physical battery is the only form of abuse.

Abuse stems from the abuser’s need for power and control. This can
manifest itself in many forms of abuse including economic, emotional, sexual
and isolation.  

Myth 4:

Domestic violence is a heterosexual issue only.

Homosexual partner abuse is prevalent and occurs at the higher
rates than in heterosexual relationships. In this eye-opening article from “The Atlantic,” the
author quotes a report from the CDC stating that “bisexual women had an
overwhelming prevalence of violent partners in their lives: 75 percent had been
with a violent partner, as opposed to 46 percent of lesbian women and 43
percent of straight women. For bisexual men, that number was 47 percent. For
gay men, it was 40 percent, and 21 percent for straight men.” 

Myth 5:

Domestic violence only affects the poor.

Abuse can happen to anyone. Persons of any economic
background, class, culture, age, sexual orientation, and marital status can be
victims of domestic abuse or abusers.

Myth 6:

Many reports of sexual assault are false.

The fact is that only 2-4% of sexual assault reports are
false, in keeping with the rate of false reports for other felonies.

Myth 7:

If the abuse were really that bad, he or she would just
leave.

There are many reasons that a victim of intimate partner
violence might stay with the abuser. Often times, the abuser will threaten the
victim’s life if they try to leave. Not leaving does not mean that the victim
is in a safe situation, or that they are not being abused. Family and social
pressure, shame, financial barriers, children and religious beliefs all can
factor into a victim staying with their abuser.

Myth 8:

Abuse is rare.

As stated earlier, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men have been the
victim of severe abuse by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Furthermore, the likelihood that someone close to you has been victimized is significant. 3
out of 4 Americans know someone who has been victimized domestically.
Myth 9:

Abuse is the result of alcohol or drugs. 

While it is true the 1/4-1/2 of all abusers have substance
abuse issues, the alcohol or drug use is not to blame. Alcohol and drugs cannot
cause domestic violence.

Myth 10:

Domestic violence is not a community issue. 

We all have the responsibility to care for one another.

Here in Northwest Arkansas there are many resources for
victims of domestic violence. Here are some ways that you can help:

  • Ask a local shelter what their current needs are and donate. Peace At Home Family Shelter has a list on their website, you can view it here: https://peaceathomeshelter.org/in-kind-donations/ 
  • Volunteer at Peace At Home Family Shelter or Northwest Arkansas Women’s Shelter.
  • Donate your gently used clothing, furniture and household items to one of the shelter thrift stores. I have a load of items all ready to take to the NWA Women’s Shelter Thrift Store.
  • Be informed. Know the signs of abuse and speak up.
If you are reading this and you need help or know someone in an abusive relationship, please seek help by calling one of these confidential hotlines: 1-800-775-9011 and 1-877-442-9811. Someone is available to assist you 24 hours a day. 

- Julianne 7 Comments

Bookish

An infographic of “Surprising Book Facts” has popped up in my Facebook newsfeed a few times during this National Literacy Month. Included with statistics showing a decline in literacy among the impoverished, imprisoned, and those over 8 years old, is this gem: “Reading for one hour per day in your chosen field will make you an international expert in 7 years.” Of course, the other statistics are incredibly revealing and powerful, but this one really stuck out to me. Reading has so much potential to open doors and expand horizons.

I learned this early on while reading fiction and nonfiction books as a child. Opening a book allowed me to step into other worlds and see things from other perspectives, as well as learn new things about the world I lived within. I read everything I could get my hands on. From flyleaf to flyleaf, no page in a book was left unread. I still try to read as much as I can, but lately the books I read the most are ones with repetitive titles featuring colors and animals, such as “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” or “Llama Llama Red Pajama.”

Yes, that is a copy of “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” Don’t worry, we have 2 more copies.

My efforts to surround my son with as many books as possible, and to encourage a love of reading in him has created a bit of a surplus in his book collection. Now a surplus in books in itself is not a bad thing, but these were mostly duplicates. Earlier this month, I took him to a Little Free Library to donate them.

I got the idea after attending my first meeting of the Northwest Arkansas Bloggers last month. It just so happened that at this meeting the group launched #NWARKCares, an initiative to bring awareness to causes right where we live using our collective voices on our blogs and social media. For the first month, our mission was to shine a light on literacy. I was so excited that I got busy going through all of our books right away and brought them to the Little Free Library of a fellow Northwest Arkansas blogger I met at the meeting. I had learned from her that children’s books were what the libraries needed the most. Looking at the date that these particular photos were taken, I see that I did all of this before September 3, and yet I’m just now getting to this post. At least it’s still September!

“The Legend of the Bluebonnet” and the only non-children’s book we brought, “Dreaming Cows”

Helping to grow Young Master Gray’s book collection (and creating some of those duplicates), is our subscription to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. When someone posted about the Imagination Library in one of my online mom’s groups, I thought it was too good to be true. One free book a month from birth up until 5 years of age?! Sign me up! I have heard from several moms that the program is not available in their area, but if it is available in your part of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom or Australia, then I highly recommend signing up. Simply fill out a form on the website to start receiving books about 6-8 weeks later. We have received the books while living in both Benton and Washington counties. If you live in either of these counties or in McDonald or Madison counties, you can contact Karen Bryant with the United Way of Northwest Arkansas with any questions you have about the program. Her email address is kbryant@unitedwaynwa.org. If you are passionate about childhood literacy and would like to help, please consider donating to Imagination Library. A donation of just $25 is all it takes to sponsor a child, and they will receive a book every month.

Some of the Imagination Library books we’ve collected so far. 

Other ways of getting involved and improving literacy in our community include:

  • Volunteering with the Ozark Literacy Council. You can tutor, be an ESL conversation partner, stuff envelopes or help with event planning.
  • Donate to a Little Free Library. Right now, if you buy the Little Free Library book for $25, you will get $150 worth of brand new books! 
  • Volunteer at your local library. For someone that loves reading, this won’t even feel like work!
  • Read to a child. Yep, it’s really as simple as that.

Before you go implement these ideas in your community, tell me, what was your favorite childhood book?

- Julianne 1 Comment

Chicken Salad with a Kick

Not too long ago I read a story about a woman who stabbed her boyfriend after he ate all of their salsa. I’m just going to say, while I don’t condone her violent actions, I could definitely feel some empathy for the woman. My love for salsa started as a toddler living in Texas. I’m told that I would eat chip after salsa-dipped chip regardless of the tears streaming down my face. That is commitment. To this day, I am still committed to my obsession for love of salsa. While he has no fears of getting stabbed, my husband picks up bean chips and salsa at the market like another man might get roses and chocolate for his wife. He knows me all too well. I’m a little embarrassed to admit that I can go through 2 jars of salsa a week. I don’t have a problem, I swear!  

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit P. Allen Smith’s Moss Mountain Farm for their reprise of Farm2Home, an event bringing together Arkansas farmers and makers with bloggers from the state. As part of the schedule of events, we (the bloggers) were let loose to sample from Arkansas Grown and Arkansas Made products at a pop-up Farmer’s Market right there on the farm. Among the many people I met and sampled from was Dennis Pratt. By the time I made it to his booth I was almost too full from all of the sriracha rolls, chocolate goat cheese, and gluten-free brownies I had tasted, but Mr. Pratt had salsa! There is always room for salsa.

Over the crunching of the chip and my mouthful of Pratt Family Salsa (I went for the medium), I learned from Dennis that the deliciousness I was partaking of came from a spice mix that can be added to fresh (or canned) tomatoes.

Because fans of Pratt Family Salsa enjoy using the spice mix in other recipes, Dennis said they are about to launch their first recipe contest. Check their website for an announcement regarding how to submit your own recipe.

Once I returned home with my own package of the Mabelvale, AR made blend of spices, I could not stop thinking about that recipe contest. Also on my mind was the chicken salad that was served for our lunch at Moss Mountain Farm. Naturally, I immediately went to work on a recipe for a chicken salad that would incorporate the spice mix. 

I started with 6 tablespoons of traditional plain Greek Yogurt (none of that reduced fat stuff!), plus 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise.  My family and I love the tang of mustard so I also added a teaspoon of Dijon mustard. The recipe would be fine without the mustard if you prefer to leave it out. After rummaging through the fridge, I decided to add about 2 tablespoons of sliced green onions, 2 teaspoons of fresh lime juice, and a tablespoon of coarsely chopped cilantro. I didn’t have any celery, so to add some crunch to the salad, I incorporated a mixture of fine chopped and coarsely chopped toasted almonds, about 2 tablespoons.

Next, I added 2 teaspoons of the Pratt Family Salsa spice mixture.

Because the spice mix already has salt in it, I did not add any extra, however, I did add a bit of freshly ground black pepper. Once that was all mixed together, I added my chicken. Now, normally I would use poached chicken made ahead of time. In fact, I still recommend it for this recipe. I think 2 chicken breasts would be enough. However, my husband talked me into buying organic chicken breast in a can on our last Sam’s Club trip. I initially said it was up to him to eat it, but in my excitement to make (and eat) this chicken salad, I grabbed it and threw it in. Honestly, I could not even tell once it was mixed into all of the other yummy ingredients.

Throwing things together like this is completely out of my comfort zone–I thrive within the confines of a recipe–so I was so thrilled that I was not only able to make even such a simple dish without a cookbook or Pinterest, but also that the result was fan-freakin-tastic! My own family loved it as well and I cannot wait to make it for friends and family at our next gathering.

Any other recipe ideas for this dry salsa mix?

The recipe contest is slated to start July 1. According to Dennis, “We are looking for
great dishes that have utilized our spices. They don’t have to be a
gourmet dish, sometimes the simpler dish is just as good. We will not
reject any recipe as long as it is made with our spices. At this time,
we plan to pick the best 2 recipes per month to award a large bag of our
salsa spices.  We will then post [the recipes] on our website with the name of
person who sent it in.”

I hope my Chicken Salad with a Kick is worthy of a bag of salsa spices!

Recipe:

12.5 oz can organic chicken breast (or 2 chicken breasts, poached)
6 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional)
2 tsp fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp green onions, sliced
1 Tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped
2 Tbsp toasted almonds, chopped
2 tsp Pratt Family Salsa spices
Ground pepper, to taste

Combine Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, lime juice, green onions, cilantro, almonds, salsa spices and pepper. Stir in chicken. Serve.

- Julianne 1 Comment

Lost & Found

I thought about it from time to time, recalling only that I
had been dwelling in a Psalm before I received THE call. Through so many moves,
I imagined that it was gone forever, or buried so deep that it may as well be.
My journal, that is. The journal that I was doodling it just before I received
a call saying that my cancer was gone. 
Days after my surgery I could not get up
and dance after receiving the good news, but I rejoiced from my perch on my
bed. Oh, did I rejoice. That Psalm–the one I didn’t even finish committing to
paper before the phone rang–says, “All the ways of the LORD are loving and
faithful toward those who keep the demands of his covenant.” That would be
Psalm 25:10. I wrote it down that day because I had such an overwhelming peace
in my soul when I came upon it. A peace that carried me through surgery to
remove an 8 lb tumor on my right ovary, a peace that told me, “This thing
that’s happening here, it’s really going to be okay. I am with you.” I
knew. Before the call, I knew. I knew that this call would come and they would
say, “No more cancer. It’s all gone.” And now, 12 years later, I found
the journal. I was looking through a box of books in preparation for a garage sale,
and there it was. The myth was made real. I didn’t imagine its existence. So
I’m sharing it with you all, and I’m doing that dance that I didn’t get to do
12 years ago.
- Julianne Leave a comment

Natural Birth in the Natural State

“I remember the day you appeared on this earth 

With eyes like the ocean, got blood on my shirt
From my camera angle it looked like it hurt
But your mama had a big ol’ smile.”
-Conor Oberst

My iTunes playlist shuffles to “You are Your Mother’s Child” by Conor Oberst and I’m instantly transported to July 4, 2013, a divine turning point in my life–the day I became a mother. I know many say that your maternal instincts kick in as soon as you see the two lines appear on the pee stick, but that wasn’t the case for me. I had to get used to the idea. After all, 10 years before this day in history I had been told that I may never be able to have a child of my own. I felt more at peace when I was told, “It’s cancer” than I did when my surgeon sat me down to say that my option to have children may be taken away before I even had the chance to try. However, after 6 years of marriage, I had finally gotten used to the idea of not having children of my own. I had made peace with it and even planned for the future based on this assumption. So, while a part of me felt triumphant to find that my one, lonely ovary could rally the troops, the other part took a long (loooong) while to reconcile with the fact that this was real life.

Since I had not been planning for this moment or even trying for a baby, I was at a complete loss as to what to do next. I set out for the bookstore and selected a book touted as “the most comprehensive and authoritative guide for expectant parents.” That should do it. Standing in the bookstore while trying to conceal that I was carrying a baby “about the size of a small blueberry,” I had no idea that Sheila Kitzinger’s, “The Complete Book of Pregnancy & Childbirth” would inspire me to proceed down a path that would lead to a natural birth, unaided by medical interventions or medication.

As I was searching out options that would help me realize my desire to have a natural birth, I discovered the Birth Center of Northwest Arkansas. In my excitement to find a place centered on relaxed, non-medicated birth in a home-like setting, I contacted the Birth Center to see if that was an option for me. The staff was extremely helpful and encouraging, I really wanted to make it work. There was one major flaw to this plan–I lived in Central Arkansas at the time and planned to continue working throughout my pregnancy. Could you really blame me for wanting to have a baby in a cozy and luxurious birth room like this?

I had the opportunity to tour the Birth Center this past Monday, and let me tell you, I was really impressed. From the moment you walk in the door, you feel welcomed and at home in this bright, clean care center.

The retail alcove is appointed with the hard-to-find items for mom and baby like Baltic amber teething necklaces, breastfeeding supplies, and herbal supplements, some of which are made right here in Northwest Arkansas.

The waiting area includes a cheerful sitting room where families can relax while they wait for baby to arrive. It extends outdoors to the picnic area overlooking a serene lake setting.

According to Kitzinger, “Going to bed in the first stage of labor and becoming more or less immobile is not a good idea. It can slow labor or interfere with its starting effectively…When you are upright and moving around, gravity helps you.” You can do this at home or in the halls of the hospital, but I don’t think a woman could ask for a better place to stay active and moving during early labor than this lovely trail around the lake, just steps away from the birthing rooms.

While all of these accoutrements make the Birth Center resemble a grand spa vacation, make no mistake, the certified nurse midwives provide excellent clinical care, and the facility is fully equipped not only for your comfort, but for your safety and that of your baby. Kitzinger addresses why a birth center is well worth your consideration, “A study of the experiences of 12,000 women who gave birth in 84 birth centers in the U.S. revealed that they had far fewer obstetric interventions of all kinds than women in a hospital, while birth was equally safe.”

Whereas many women cannot say the same, I was extremely lucky to have the birth that I envisioned in the hospital setting. Would I have preferred to have a birth center experience instead? Absolutely. The Birth Center is the answer for the woman who is seeking a low-intervention birth in a relaxed atmosphere with care provided by midwives that you get to know and who get to know you and your family. In the rare occurrence that a transfer to the hospital is necessary, it’s comforting to know that their partner, Mercy Hospital of Rogers, is a mere 1.5 miles from the center.

It may surprise you to know that in addition to providing top-notch prenatal, labor and delivery and postnatal care that includes home visits, the midwives also offer annual exams. Knowing that their comprehensive well woman exams include cancer screenings, pap smears and contraceptive management, I’m ready to trade in the hospital gown for one of their plush robes.

As I was touring the Birth Center of Northwest Arkansas and hearing the stories of the 200+ babies born there (even one whose parents came from Little Rock!), I couldn’t help but feel the tiniest twinge of regret that I did not have that birth experience. If you are looking for prenatal care or it’s time for your yearly exam, you should check them out!

- Julianne Leave a comment

Jenn’s Woodland Baby Shower

Have you noticed the increasingly clever and cute ways parents-to-be are announcing that a little bundle is on the way? Search “pregnancy announcement” on Pinterest and you’ll find photos of tiny shoes tucked in between two larger pairs of shoes with text reading, “Our family is growing by two feet,” among other examples ranging from cute to stomach-turning (the latter usually feature a toilet in some way). There are a myriad of ways to announce, and it seems like parents are in some unspoken competition to come up with something more unique than anyone else before them. My husband and I announced ours here on the blog. So, imagine my surprise when I received a text message last fall from my little brother, Marcus, asking me to throw a baby shower for his wife Jenn. Without missing a beat I replied, “Of course, I’d love to.” Then I thought for a minute and followed up with, “Wait, is this your way of telling me she’s pregnant?!”

I’m so happy for Marcus and Jenn, and couldn’t wait to start planning the shower. After tossing around some other theme ideas, I decided that there was no better way to welcome “Baby Woods” than with a forest theme. I had so much fun planning this shower; it brought out my inner party planner and inspired me to get crafty. My grandmother agreed to let us have the party at her house in Mountain Home, a location that would be convenient for family and friends of the parents-to-be.

The owl cheeseball was a hit with all of the guests. It was almost too cute to eat!

I made the bunting from paper bags (thanks, Ozark Natural Foods!), scrapbook paper and twine.

Everyone who came went home with a bag of “birch sticks,” aka, chocolate-covered pretzel rods.


The adorable deer and fox graphics I used on my signs are from the talented Hannah at We Lived Happily Ever After. They are free to download, just click here.


The guest of honor with a couple of baby Grayson’s cousins!
It was an honor to put this party together for Jenn and I can’t wait to meet baby Grayson soon!

- Julianne Leave a comment

A Visit with Santa at Northwest Arkansas Mall

I have been compensated for this
post by Northwest Arkansas Mall. All thoughts and opinions are my own
or, in this case, Young Master Gray’s (with his explicit permission, of
course).
 

My little elf wants to tell you about his trip to see Santa Claus at Northwest Arkansas Mall in Fayetteville. I hope you enjoy his tale.

‘Twas two weeks before Christmas, when one and all
Stood in a line, at Northwest Arkansas Mall;
Mom dressed me up with the greatest of care,
I knew someone special just had to be there;
Right to Center Court, mom knew just where to go,
We followed the voice sounding, “HO, HO, HO;”
The set was filled with Christmas delights,
Festive trees, presents, snow globes and lights;
It was enough to make anyone happy and jolly,
From mom, to the little girl asking for a dolly;
Old Saint Nick was as sweet as can be,
But still, I did not want to sit on his knee;
Knowing Santa’s digs are the newest in 10 years,
Quite frankly, did nothing to calm my fears;
A tentative smile quickly dissolved into worry,
And that’s when mom said, “We’d better scurry.”
Come now, it’s your turn to sit at Santa’s side,
Even on the night before Christmas, you won’t be denied.
You can see Santa at Northwest Arkansas Mall between now and Christmas Eve.
Hours: Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-8 p.m.
(Break from 3-4)
Sunday 12 p.m.-6 p.m.
(Break from 3-3:30)

Choose one of the photo packages and you’ll have your prints in your hands before you can say, “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” If you want to share your photo, add a download to your package, or even have the photo texted directly to your phone.


Can you believe how close we are to Christmas already? What preparations do you still have to complete before the big day? Our tree is up, but still needs some final touches. Maybe the rest of the decorations will make it out of the box before the 25th! Merry Christmas!
- Julianne 3 Comments

{Friday ReFresh} Our home remodel

Looking back at the before photos of our home, I was so shocked at how much of a
turnaround we have made to this place in just 6 months. I couldn’t help but want to
share. This will be the first in a series of posts chronicling our home remodel. Today I’m starting with a doozy–the living room.

The living room was a dark, wallpapered mess from the peeling wood laminate floors to the smoke-stained ceiling. After painting the ceiling, the first thing that had to be done in this room was to remove the wallpaper. Under the wallpaper was paneling that had been given a skim coat of drywall mud for a smoother texture. Once the wallpaper was removed, the skim coat had to be repaired in many areas of the wall before we could even think about painting. Once that dried, the walls were painted and primed in a medium gray. The trim, including a new windowsill, was refreshed with Clark & Kensington’s Silent White.

Instead of repairing the wall behind the bookcases that flank the fireplace, Jeremy replaced the drywall completely and it was painted to match the gray walls. The bookcases were then painted in the same white as the trim. The fireplace itself received a fresh coat of paint as well. Also, isn’t it amazing how just removing a dated piece of trim across the top of the fireplace made it look 10 times more modern!

Finally, the flooring was replaced with a light blond wood laminate to tie in with the modern feel of the room. With an exploring toddler in the house, we also added some safety features like tamper-resistant outlets and a new fire-safe door going into the garage.

Of course, this room is still not complete, but the transformation is incredible already! I hope you’ll check back next week for more renovation reveals!

- Julianne Leave a comment

What the Pioneer Woman taught me about green beans

I have a bit of a confession to make. Depending on who you are and what circles you run in, this may not be very earth shattering, but I think it will at least be a surprise to my blogger friends. Here goes–I had never read The Pioneer Woman blog before today. Nor have I seen her show or ever flipped through one of her cookbooks. Whew! It feels good to get that off of my chest. I should say, I have nothing against Ree Drummond. In fact, now that I’ve been initiated, I’m sure I will inevitably get hooked on her brand of tell-it-like-it-is-y’all blogging and down-home, made-from-scratch cooking. Who am I kidding? The woman uses cast iron and taught me that you don’t have to snap both ends off of your green beans, I am already hooked.

Speaking of those green beans, I riffed on her Fresh Green Beans recipe for dinner tonight and it was super delicious. I had already removed both ends (oh snap!), but I bought some of my time back by blanching them before throwing them in the skillet. I’m sure it won’t surprise anyone that I decided to forgo her suggestion to use bacon grease instead of oil and butter. I also left out the red bell pepper since I didn’t have it, and while I had onion, I decided to go ahead and use the leeks I had already chopped for another recipe.

Full disclosure, I did *almost* get to meet Ree Drummond last November. My first outing away from the young master Gray was to a blogger event that was centered around The Pioneer Woman’s visit to Rogers, AR. We got together the night before her book signing to hang out and eat yummy food prepared from the recipes in her cookbooks. I had planned to go stand in line for her to sign a cookbook along with hundreds of her die-hard fans, but I wasn’t able to make it after all.

Are you a Pioneer Woman fan? Either way, you should try the green beans. Am I the only one who didn’t know that you only have to snap one end off? On second thought, I may just keep doing it my way. Besides sorting dry beans, it’s one of the few kitchen tasks I can do sitting down.