Yesterday was a crock-pot day. Actually, there were two crocks simmering side-by-side with homemade goodness. One with a hearty beef stew. The other filled with a rich vegetable bean soup, made rich with the addition of a tablespoon of butter. (Here's a tip: When you make a vegetarian bean dish or soup--with dried beans, the addition of butter will make them so much more tender and flavorful.) Well, the house smelled wonderful all day. By dinnertime all I had to do was heat French rolls, plate up some sharp raw cheese and fresh fruit. A simple meal that was like a warm hug on a cold night. The girls take over in the kitchen today. I like this tag-team cooking schedule. I like it a lot!
I'm ever so s-l-o-w-l-y re-hauling a few rooms and unearthing "treasure" in the process. Making space. Starting fresh. And parting with a few books; scanning a few pictures I want to remember. Like these. I love woodstoves. In our last house, we had one similar to this in an upstairs studio/family/bedroom. Oh, That Room! It was an all-purpose mega-space that seemed even larger with its high open beam ceilings and enormous windows. The big black 'Pioneer Box' sat front and slightly off-center in the middle of the room radiating heat in every direction all winter long. I loved it. I also love the push-button central heating in our current house; no more hauling wood over a rickety slippery upstairs deck!
These photos are taken from a book called, Making The Most of Small Spaces. It's an awesome little book with home improvement ideas and creative storage solutions that draw insiration from seaside huts, cozy cottages and other challenging spaces. And I'm giving it away! Leave a comment on this post to throw your name in the hat if you are interested. Please know that I truly regret I cannot ship freebies overseas and abroad due to the high cost of postage. But I can share a few more photos. . .
Now back to the book shelf for more hidden treasure....
UPDATED 1-16: Thank you all for your comments, a winner has been chosen!
