Spring!

Thank you to Susan for hosting Metamorphosis Monday!  I always enjoy checking out what everyone has been up to.  Spring has definitely sprung here in California and my yard is filled with the fresh Spring green hue of new growth on my plants and trees.  I just love Spring!  

I was out a few weeks ago at a thrift shop and bought this pretty green pillow with roses on it.  I thought how nice it would look on my porch. -- Well, obviously I hadn't really looked at my porch furniture in some time.  Ugh!  It was in horrible shape.  I was appalled at how faded and worn my cushions appeared next to my new pillow.

The seats on the wicker furniture are box cushions and are relatively expensive to replace, sooooo

 I ran down to Home Fabrics and for $3.00 a yard I purchased three yards of striped Sunbrella fabric!!!  I was so proud of myself!

This is another before picture---fortunately for you the cat claw marks aren't evident in this picture.

I simply folded the new Sunbrella  around the old box cushion.  In only a few minutes time and $9.00 in fabric I had a much fresher look on my porch.

That is all I managed this week.  I realize the wicker could use another coat of paint and the straw carpet could use replacing but that will have to wait for now. Have a wonderful week everyone! 

Foodie Friday Granola

Thank you to Gollum for hosting Foodie Friday which has become my favorite day of the week!  I took all kinds of pictures as I prepared this only to have my computer decide it didn't want to upload these pictures.  No amount of prodding would work, so here is the final product. This is a very simple recipe - no pictures needed really!  It is an absolutely delicious granola! 

Here is the recipe:

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup unsulfured molasses

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cold water

3 tab. vegetable oil

2 teasp. cinnamon

3 cups old-fashioned oatmeal

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans

1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds

1/3 cup flaked dried unsweetened coconut

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup wheat germ

2 tab. sesame seeds

raisins or other dried fruit

 milk or yogurt

Combine all of the top 6 ingredients in a small pan and bring to a boil-stirring constantly.

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Combine the oatmeal with all the remaining ingredients through the sesame seeds and mix on an old cookie sheet.  Drizzle the syrup over and stir to coat the mixture throughly.  Bake till toasted stirring every 10 min.  The original recipe says to bake for 40 min. I always bake mine for 20min total.coll granola completely and store in an airtight container.  I add the dried fruits after it is baked.  I love mine with milk or over vanilla yogurt!

Just a little FYI

The nuts are reasonable at Costco and I love the Organic Trader Joe's Yogurt

I have worked up an appetite!  Time to eat!

Welcome to my Sunroom

Welcome to my sunroom!  I was just getting ready to do some sewing and I thought why not show you my computer/sewing/watching TV/reading room!  Our sunroom is on the back of our home just off the master bedroom.  We have a family room down stairs so this is just a little spot for my husband and I generally.

This is the view as you enter the room.

This is my desk and computer--where I am sitting right now.

This is the middle of the room as you circle around.  Windows are on all three sides of the room.  I have the shades drawn on several of the windows right now.  We added bookcases under the windows on two sides of the room.  I think that was the very first home project after we moved in.  We have always had lots of books!

This is the opposite end of the room where I have my sewing table.

The enclosed book cases at this end of the room store all my sewing things--or most of them anyway!  I do use this sewing machine.  It is the featherweight I learned on, but I do have a more modern machine I am going to pull out as soon as I finish this blog.

My husband 's closet is in this room--and I am not going to show you the closet doors because they need polishing in the worst way!  So as you come around the room this wall is against our bedroom.  (I can see I really need to change that light switch!)  All of the art on this wall was done by family members.  The black and white hooked  piece is me when I was three.  My mom made it.  

The water color on the top left was done by my daughter and the oil painting of the gentleman was done by my grandfather.  I think everything else show up too small to appreciate.

If you look up to the ceiling it is sloped.  Years ago I talked my older daughter into painting birds and clouds on the ceiling.  It is had to get from these pictures but this room has a very outdoorsy feel because of all the windows.  I love her birds.  (Painting on the ceiling isn't easy so I have never been able to talk her into adding more!)

Just another view closer to the corner.  I have a shelf that runs above where my desk is and that is where this picture was taken.

This is my view today.  It is raining hard here. The perfect weather to get some sewing done!

Thanks for stopping by!