Oh Yeah!: Boring Lamp - Bold Transformation

This is a great project for those of us who like to put our own creative mark on an everyday item. For the guest room (the Door County room) I needed a white lamp to go with the other white items in the room, the bed, the nightstands, the white pillow cases, but I didn't want the lamp to blend into the background, so I gave it a personal touch.

I found some blue iridescent ribbon and some really great fabric covered scrap booking buttons. Both of these items went with the coloring of the room and so I thought it would make a great statement and give the plain white lamp some personality.

It is amazing how handy my architecture tool box has been since I graduated back in 2004. I find that every time I need to get creative it starts with me pulling something out of that box to get going. So I pulled the glue gun and my X-ACTO knife out of the architecture box and began the transformation:

Step 1: Adhere ribbon to white lamp shade
With the iridescent ribbon, I wrapped the shade in an Argyle pattern. Make sure to glue the beginning end of the ribbon first on the interior of the shade. Then, begin wrapping the ribbon from corner to corner to get the argyle look. Finish by gluing the end piece on the inside of the shade where you started.

Step 2: Make small incisions in the shade for the buttons
Since the buttons have a folding metal piece behind them, they are very easy to stick onto the shade. First make sure the make the small incisions with the very sharp X-ACTO knife into the shade and at similar intervals of length. For this lamp, I wanted to make sure that each side had four fabric buttons to make the best impact. After making the incisions, place the buttons into the holes and secure by folding the metal piece on the interior of the shade.

Step 3: Enjoy a creatively personalized lamp with incredible personality!

White lamp with Argyle pattern

Fabric buttons placed evenly onto shade

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

As an Irish Catholic girl growing up I definitely knew the two most important things to get done on St. Patrick's Day: 1) to make the Irish Soda Bread 2) prepare the Corned Beef and Cabbage. Both of these items were completed today with much love and excitement. I forgot where I had put my mom's recipe for the Irish Soda Bread, but I remembered there were only a few ingredients so I borrowed one from a website and added in dried cranberries as my fruit. What a great soda bread!

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for cranberries
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 cup dried cranberries

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and mix on low speed until the butter is mixed into the flour.

With a fork, lightly beat the buttermilk and egg together in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture. Combine the cranberries with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into the dough. It will be very wet.

Dump the dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place the loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into the top of the bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When you tap the loaf, it will have a hollow sound.

Cool on a baking rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

If you do not want to buy a whole half gallon of buttermilk than you can pull a tip from my Grandma and take the same amount of required of regular or skim milk and add a teaspoon of lemon juice and you are all set!

The Irish Blessing

“May the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face and the rain fall softly on your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the hollow of his hand.”

GOOD LUCK!