The Playroom/Office - Uncensored

Hey y'all! Here is my latest Fall Cleaning project.

This was our playroom/my office area on Monday morning:

Cue the theme music from the "Psycho" movie! Yikes! How did I live with this mess for seven months...much less "work" in it. So, I got a move on and it looked like this by Monday at lunch:

Not exactly the sophisticated office space of my dreams, but it works in an entertain-the-kid-while-trying-to-be-creative kind of way.

 I added the curtain from my boy's nursery in our old house above the window. (My mom and I made it before my blogging days, so I don't have a tutorial. But it is basically a board cut to size with lined fabric stapled to the top and "L" brackets on the back to screw it to the wall. Then I just gathered up the fabric in two places and pinned it.)

The memo board has postcards of famous artwork from the High Museum in Atlanta and a few other momentos.

Here are some further DIY plans for the space. I can't wait!

Stay tuned for the progress!

~Kelly T.

Fall Cleaning

Yeah, so Spring Cleaning is the most popular term. But I'm finding a frisky, Fall cleaning streak coming on!

I started by doing something I haven't done my entire life! I had never thought to clean my makeup brushes before, but if you think about it, it is pretty important to keep those beauty tools clean! I may be the only one out there who had never thought to do this, but in case I'm not, I thought I'd share with you this handy Fall cleaning tip.

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This is much like cleaning a paint brush. Fill your sink with a little warm water. Use a small dab of plain ol' dish washing liquid on your brush and work through the bristles with your hand. Press the brush in the water, side to side, against the bottom of the sink careful not to get too aggressive or you risk damaging the bristles. You'll be amazed at the brown powder, eye shadow goodness that comes out! Then rinse well with cool water. Use you fingers to squeeze excess water and reshape the bristles. Allow to dry.

It took awhile for mine to dry (luckily, I did't wear makeup that next day - housewife alert!). But they ended up like new. So soft and clean!

Give this a try today. You'll be glad you did and so will your pores!

~Kelly T.

What's on the Menu Monday? Beef Stew

Looking for a warm, hearty meal for this cooler weather? Here it is!

This is a shortcut recipe for semi-homemade beef stew. I looked forward to this meal when jacket weather came around each year growing up. And now I make it for my crew.

It's a cinch to put together, and then all it needs is some sweet time to make the beef spoon-tender and the flavors blend.

(Oh, and those homemade biscuits in the background...just wait for next week!)

Semi-Homemade Beef Stew

lean stew beef

baby carrots

potatoes, diced 

condensed tomato soup

1 package beefy onion dry soup mix

vegetable oil

flour

salt pepper
optional: pearl onions or chopped onions; a splash or two of hot sauce if you like a kick to it!

(The amount of carrots and potatoes depends upon your preference for the ratio of veggies to beef. I used a small package of beef, half a small bag of baby carrots and three medium size potatoes.)

In the bottom of a stew pot (6 qt.) heat oil (a few turns around the pot is enough) then brown spoonfuls of flour, salt and pepper to make a brown roux. (See how to make roux here. Basically, just heat oil, or any fat, add equal parts flour, give or take, and brown it to desired color and consistency.)

Salt and pepper stew beef then add to the roux and brown the beef on all sides. (This helps seal in juices and gets good color on the beef so it won't be an unappealing grey color in the finished product.) Add carrots and potatoes. Add enough water to barely cover veggies. Stir in condensed soup and dry soup mix. Salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until done (at least 2.5 hours if not more!). If the beef is tough and can't be cut with your spoon, it is not done. (This I learned after trying to make this like my momma for 5 years. I finally asked her why my stew beef was always tough, and that's what she told me. So, don't go five years without that little tidbit of knowledge. Cook it for hours on end!)

Enjoy!
Kelly T.

night out

night out by fullplatedesigner featuring faded jeans

Karen Millen asymmetrical top
£25 - houseoffraser.co.uk

Faded jeans
£14 - peacocks.co.uk

Old Navy bootie boots
$23 - oldnavy.gap.com

Mango snake jewelry
£30 - mango.com

Falling

Falling by fullplatedesigner featuring a pea coat

Wet Seal ruffle shirt
$15 - wetseal.com

Old Navy pea coat
$60 - oldnavy.gap.com

Woolrich pants
$65 - woolrich.com

Oxford shoes
$35 - delias.com

Wendy Mink gold bangle
$142 - charmandchain.com

Carrie Saxl 14k gold jewelry
$80 - maxandchloe.com

Lauren by Ralph Lauren leaf earrings
$34 - macys.com

Use What Your Mamma Gave Ya

I'm loving all the Fall decorating going on! And if you want to pack some punch with Fall decor in your home without making an impact on your wallet, just use what your Mama gave ya. Mother Nature, that is.

Here are some fun ideas you can use for FREE just by taking a walk in this beautiful weather and using what Mother Nature gives ya! For links to these and other free Fall ideas, visit my Fall Pinterest page.


Pretty, bright colored branches might be my favorite free Fall find!

Even bare branches make an elegant impact.

Or showcase separate leaves.

Pottery Barn has some acorn vase filler on sale at their Outlet now, but my son and I picked up acorns in our back yard to use as vase filler this season.

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And don't forget about pinecones.

So much can be gleaned from nature! Go have a Fall treasure hunt for your home and let me know what you find!

~Kelly T.

What's on the Menu Monday? Grilled Pineapple

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I had grilled pineapple at a dinner at my hubby's boss' house a few weeks ago. The pineapple is such a pretty presentation and so simple at the same time! Give it a try next time you fire up a grill for game day or when you are serving company for a stress-free, yummy side or dessert. And it is healthy, too!

I made it last night with grilled chicken and roasted veggies. It is delicious and so simple! Oh, have I already said it is simple? Sorry. It is just that it is sooooo simple!

(Side note: I apologize for the borrowed photos. I have always used original photos on this blog, but I didn't take any while I prepared this last night!)

Choose a ripe, whole pineapple. It should smell sweet, and I've been told if you can pull a center leaf from the top easily, then it is ripe. Cut off the top and bottom.

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Save the top and bottom. Then cut straight down the sides of the center section to remove the hard skin.

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Slice about one inch slices. You don't even have to worry about coring the slices. Both times I have had this, the core was not too hard to eat. But your guests can just choose to cut around the core while they are eating if they prefer.

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Here is where the pretty presentation comes in. Stack the slices back on top of the unpeeled bottom you cut off earlier. Rotate the slices so that the cut corners make a pretty shape. If the slices are not very straight, the pineapple may lean. So just rotate the slices around to make it stand up straight. Place the top with the leaves back on and leave it set up as a centerpiece or on the serving area as guests arrive.

(I wish I had gotten a photo of this stage at least because I can't find a photo anywhere online! Next time I grill pineapple, I'll get a photo and update this post with a photo of the pineapple set up for presentation.) 

When the rest of your grilling is almost finished, take the pineapple slices and grill for a few minutes on each side to make a few grill marks. The grill makes it so tender, juicy and sweet. 

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Serve as a side with your meal or with pound cake, whipped cream or ice cream for dessert. 

It is THAT good!

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There are plenty of marinates and basting recipes for pineapple out there. Give them a try if you have the time. But I'm telling you, this is good to go on the grill and on the plate just as nature made her! 

Enjoy!

Giveaway: Give Thanks bunting

Updated:
The winner of the Give Thanks bunting is

Amazingteacher!!!

Congrats! Please contact me at fullplatedesigner (at) gmail (dot) com to claim your prize.

Thanks so much my new followers and those who entered. I LOVE my readers!!!!

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Here's my how-to on the "Give Thanks" bunting shown in my dining room Fall series. Read on to see how you can win it!

I scrounged up some fabric samples I bought in college to re-cover some chairs at the time. I chose one sample that is a plaid with fall colors and cut a six-inch strip.

Then, using a straight-edge, (I didn't want to get up to get a ruler, so I just used the cardboard label from the fabric sample) I marked five, 5.5 inch sections along one long side of the fabric. Then I marked the other side of the fabric with alternating 5.5 inch sections so that when a line was drawn between the marks, it created 10 V-shapes to cut out. The measurements are not exact, just a guide. 

Then I laid out the triangles and drew free-hand letters with flairs at each end with a Sharpie. I choose to write on the "back" side of the fabric because it was a better contrast to allow the letters to stand out.

Then I plugged in the hot glue gun and waited... It's been awhile since I used the old glue gun, so I had forgotten how long it took to heat up! 

Finally, I could get to work. Don't you just love my "professional" workspace on the floor with an old shoebox lid?!?! 

I cut a long piece of twine and glued a fold to the backside (which is the frontside of the fabric) over the twine. It was then that I noticed how cute the contrast of the two sides of the fabric were against each other. If you make this, you might want to fold the fabric over the twine to the side with the letters to show the contrasting side of the fabric along the top.

But I'm still proud of how it turned out. It has a nice homemade, holiday feel to it. And since I'm so thankful for my readers, here's your chance to win it! (Shipping will only be available to an address in the US.) 

Two chances to win:
1. Be a follower of Full Plate Living by clicking on the "Join this site" button on the right of this page, and leave a comment that you are a follower.
2. Share about this giveaway via Facebook, your own blog or Twitter and leave a comment about how/where you shared.

That's it! The giveaway ends next Friday. Good luck, and thanks for reading!

~Kelly T.


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