Mommy's Makeover

I just returned from a wonderful few days with my parents.  They live in Snowflake, where I grew up, about 3 hours north of where I live now. I thoroughly enjoyed the evenings, sitting on the back porch with my mom and reading the latest few Traditional Home magazines that I hadn't found the time to open yet.  The back porch is all stone that was dug up and hauled to their house by my dad.  Mommy has potted flowers everywhere, with a trumpet vine growing up and over the arbor, and a beautiful, mature Japanese Elm tree.  There are fresh herbs, lavender, and pink baby roses too.  The beautiful surroundings, coupled with two of the people I love most in the world, made for a wonderful visit.

Sometimes I go home for pure pleasure, to be doted on by both of them.  But this trip was a working trip, and we didn't stop!  Daddy built their house in the early 70's, and though there have been several renovations in the last 30-plus years, the family room entertainment center has remain untouched.  Simple oak cabinetry with shelves built out of crude lumber have certainly served their purpose, but it was time to spruce things up!

Here is the entertainment center the very moment before it was unloaded.

The plan of attack:
Add various mouldings to create more of a built-in look
Paint everything out in our favorite cream color, Valspar's Cincinnatian Hotel Hannaford
Glaze everything with Ralph Lauren's Tobacco glaze
Paint the back wall Sherwin Williams Worldly Gray
Add new hardware
Accessorize!

We scoured the house and were able to come up with everything we needed to load the shelves up with both beautiful and meaningful things.  Daddy even went out to the barn and retrieved the antlers of a deer. Bless his heart.
Here is the finished product after three days filled with a lot of hard work.

The crowning jewel of this trip was when I made a stop at a thrift store on my journey home.  I snagged an almost brand new Oreck vacuum for my mom for the staggering total of $3.  Her current vacuum is as old as her house, and she has been coveting my Oreck for years now.  I pulled into the Oreck store before I even went home where they examined it and declared it to be in impeccable shape! Mom, it's the least I could do to thank you for making me pie crust cookies after 10 p.m. (and for dealing with me as a teenager) 

Mommy's Pie Dough

2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Crisco
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup water with an ice cube in it
Cut flour, salt, Crisco, and butter together until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Add ice water a little at a time, mixing with your hands, until the consistency is right.

Roll out pastry dough on a well floured surface, spread with butter, cinnamon and sugar.
Roll up and cut like cinnamon rolls.

  Bake at 400 until edges are golden. Serve with a glass of cold milk.

One of my favorite childhood memories.

 { When I eat them, I know that everything is going to be alright.}  

I love a good ending.