Our Steampunk Chandelier

A few months back Nellie and I had dinner up at Grappa in Park City.  In the entryway of Grappa is a chandelier that I think is beautiful --it was love at first sight.  It looks like a rusty planter with two hoops at the bottom with light bulbs extending out horizontally.  As I didn't have the foresight to take a picture, I've borrowed a picture someone else took of it.  It wasn't long until we started to think about how we could reproduce elements of the Grappa chandelier into one that would fit the scale of our home.

We decided it would be best to start with a rusty wagon wheel.  We asked our favorite antique dealer (my mom) if she knew of any rusty wheels and it just so happened that she had a couple that she was kind enough to sell us at a great deal.

Before:

It made sense to use the smaller wheel for our dining area.  One day when Nellie was out of town I started to work on the fixture.  It was a challenge for me because I've never really done much with metal, nor have I ever wired a light etc.  

I began by drilling six 1/2" holes that we could at least run the wire through.  

Once the holes were drilled, I ran my brown lamp wire through the holes and attached the lamp sockets outside the wheel.  Instead of hanging the chandelier with chain we decided to mirror the Grappa chandelier and hang it by a bar.  This is a white painted steel bar that is sold for use in closets to hold hangers.  As you can see in the picture I used liberal zip-ties to hold everything in place for the rough draft.  

One of the biggest challenges was deciding how to hang the fixture itself.  It is fairly heavy and I wasn't sure how to harness it into the ceiling.  When we'd installed a ceiling fan a number of years back, I had installed a brace for the ceiling fan and decided to use the same support.  I drilled a hold through the top of the pipe, about 1/2" from the end and used a screw to hold it into the harness above.  

The rough draft was bright and kind of ugly, but it was a start.  One of the challenges was going to be figuring out how to get holes large enough for the lamps to fit inside of the rim.  Nellie and I didn't really like the drooping nature of the lamps as composed.  Also, the white pole needed to be replaced with a rusted one, as did the bright bolt holding the pole in at the bottom.  

After concluding the 1/2" holes would need to be 1 3/8" I set about trying to find solutions.  I first picked up a step bit that went up to 1 3/8", but that didn't end well.  After fishing for solutions on Facebook, I found one of my friends already had the ability and willingness to drill the holes larger for me.  He wouldn't accept any payment from me which was kind, but made me feel a little bad.  In no time at all, he had the holes looking perfect.

After re-wiring the lamps in again, the next step was to flash rust the pole.  After scraping and sanding the white paint off, I sprayed vinegar on the pole and watched it rush before my eyes.  

The next day it had enough of a rust look to it we were ready to hang it again.

I bought some bailing wire to wrap a few spots that I wanted to secure (I thought it would be more of a fit than the zip ties).  The final, most important step was the right light bulbs.  We really love the Edison style bulbs, but don't really love the price most local places charge.  We found a great source for our bulbs and ordered a good supply of them from 1000bulbs.com.  When they came Saturday, we were so excited to finish off our chandelier.  

I am well aware that rust and wagon wheel and old looking light bulbs are not everyones style.  I love it in our house.  I feel like our home is eclectic enough that it fits in great with everything else.

Family Pictures

I wasn't planning on having family pictures today.  While running out the door to go Thanksgiving dinner, I grabbed my camera on a whim, thinking I might want it.  My kids were all wearing clean clothes and had their hair fixed, which is an event even unto itself, so when we got to MammaGrandpa's house (as Birdie calls it), I thought I'd snap a few of the kids.  Becca came out to help me with the arm-waggling, funny sound making, attention-getting part (thank you Becca).  It went very well and super fast, so as an after thought, Trev and I jumped in the shot to see if we could get one of us all together.  Becca obliged, and snapped a bunch.  The whole process took maybe 10-15 minutes, and I was rather pleased with what we got.

I didn't coordinate or plan any of our outfits, I didn't hunt for weeks for the perfect accessory or shirt; it's just a picture of my family wearing what we happened to be wearing.  I love them.  I especially love how non-stressful a production it was in comparison to any other time we have tried to take family pictures.

Now, hold on CFA, (that's Control Freaks of America), don't kick me out of the club just yet.  I certainly still have my issues.  Had this been a real planned family picture, you can bet that nary a hair would be out of place (especially Trev's pesky ones...haha...kidding honey).  I'd have the perfect pops of colors strategically placed based on predetermined posing.  My eyes would reflect the crazy frantic desperation of a mom wanting each smile and tilt of the head to be on cue.  And of course my children would be far less cooperative, as is there job when they can sense that something is really important.  :) All I'm saying, dear CFA, of which I am a card-carrying member, it was nice for such a serendipitous occasion to present itself without the frazzled mom as a bi-product.  

You Can't Handle The Truth! NFL Version

One of my buddies from high school commented last night that the situation with Richie Incognito and Johnathan Martin (background story here) was beginning to seem like an NFL version of "A Few Good Men."  With some prompting he took the famous courtroom scene and adapted it to the Dolphins' situation.  I've posted it below for your enjoyment.  It's one of the funniest things I've read in a long time:

Cast:
Coach Joe Philbin: Miami Dolphins' Head Coach
Ted Wells: Lawyer who is leading NFL probe into hazing
Roger Goodell: NFL commissioner 

Philbin: “Sometimes players take matters into their own hands.”

Wells: “No sir. You made it clear just a moment ago that your players never take matters into their own hands. Your players follow orders or Tannehill gets sacked. So Martin shouldn’t have been in any danger at all, should he have, Coach?

Philbin: “You little $%&*@$%.”

Cornell: “Commissioner, I have to ask for a recess to…”

Wells: “I’d like an answer to the question, Commissioner.”

Goodell: “The league will wait for an answer.”

Wells: “If Sherman Turner told his O-line that Martin wasn’t to be hazed, then why did he have to be traded?”

Coach?

Sherman ordered the hazing, didn’t he? Because that’s what you told Sherman to do!”

Cornell: Object!

Goodell: Counsel!

Wells: And when it went bad, you cut Incognito loose!

Goodell: That’ll be all, Counsel!

Wells: You had Turner sign a phony trade order, you doctored the roster…

Philbin: You want answers?

Wells: I think I’m entitled to them.

Philbin: You want answers?!

Wells: I WANT THE TRUTH!

Philbin: YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

Philibin: Son, we live in a league that has quarterbacks. And those quarterbacks have to be guarded by men with cojones. Whose gonna do it? You? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Martin and you curse the Dolphins. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: That Martin’s departure, while tragic, probably saved quarterbacks. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves quarterbacks.

You don’t want the truth. Because deep down, in places you don’t talk about in your Fantasy Football League, you want me on that sideline. You NEED me on that sideline. We use words like hut, hut, and hike. You use them as a punchline during your turkey bowl.

I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps mesmerized by the football I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it. I’d prefer you just cheered for us, ate your nachos, and went on your way. Otherwise I suggest you put on some pads and hit the line of scrimmage. Either way, I don’t give a $%&* what you think you’re entitled to!

Wells: Did you haze Jonathan Martin?!

Philbin: I did the job Ross hired me to do.

Wells: DID YOU HAZE JONATHAN MARTIN!?!?

Philbin: “YOU’RE %^&$*(& RIGHT I DID!!!

Author: Steve Olson, one of the best and brightest.  

Tubby Tuesday: Melanies Gourmet Culinary Kitchen

In honor of Guy Fawkes Day, for Tubby Tuesday we are going to go a little off the conventional path.  Today I'd like to introduce you to Melanie's Gourmet Culinary Kitchen.  As someone who loves the British people, I have certain cravings that are hard to meet in the USA.  Some items, like English chocolate and custard are relatively easy to find.  Other items, like baked goods are much harder to find.
For years, Melanie owned a little shop on Main Street in Pleasant Grove.  

It was not a large shop, but there were many delightful treats to be found.  Having a British import store half a mile from my home was heaven.  Alas, one day I drove by to see the shop was closed.
Happily, through a Facebook post from a friend, I learned that Melanie had opened up another shop that is cleverly disguised as an awning store at 587 W State St, Pleasant Grove.  When I went in, I found many of the items from her previous store that I had missed, but happily I found that she had expanded her fare to include baked goods like Cornish pasties, scones, and SAUSAGE ROLLS!  I love a good sausage roll, so I was pretty excited to find they are every bit as good as any sausage roll I have tried.

Melanie also has a cooking demonstration area upstairs in her store.  For my birthday Janelle took me to one of her cooking classes.  A chef named Scott Weber who was a lot of fun to learn from teaches the class.  For our date night we learned how to make a curry couscous salad, a pork curry, and curry funnel cakes.  It was one of the most fun date nights we have done in a long time! 

Melanie's Kitchen

Station Set Up

Nellie and I Getting Ready To Cook!

Curried Couscous Salad with Lemon Yoghurt Dressing

A Cutie Dishing Up Her Curry

The Finished Product

Halloween: Jessie, Ariel, The Football Player, Gru and the Pretty Mom

Halloween was a lot of fun.  I'm not certain that it isn't one of my favorite holidays.  It's not that I love decorating the house or carving pumpkins much, it's more that I love watching my children get excited about "spooky" things.  I loved looking at the witch that Birdie made for our decorations that she spent a whole afternoon diligently working on.  I love seeing the anticipation and planning that goes on as the family plans their costumes.  Also, I love the excuse to act like a little kid myself.  

Lulu dressed up as Jessie the cowgirl from the Toy Story trilogy.  She loves the movies at the moment and she was so darling.  Nellie made the main part of the costume as an apron which was pure genius.  It was easy to get on and off.  The hat came from the Dallas International Airport from a gift shop.  Oddly, it was cheaper than any hat at the Disney store, but was perfect for the costume.  The boots are the real deal Jessie boots and Lulu loves them.  Cutest cowgirl I've ever seen.

Birdie dressed as Ariel, which she has done at least once before, but she loves the princesses so much.  She was given the Ariel dress as a birthday present from Uncle Mike and Aunt Britt and was so excited to wear it for Halloween.  In lieu of a wig, we used red hairspray with varied results.  Like her momma, Birdie has some thick hair and we could probably have used 3 cans and not gotten full coverage.  

Tut dressed up as a football player.  Fairly generic costume, I know, but I was excited that he wanted to dress as a football player.  I feel like that means the work I have gone to in order to help him enjoy football must be bearing some fruit.  

I dressed as Gru from Despicable Me.  We all love the movie and think it's one of the funniest "kid shows" ever.  The biggest challenge to looking like Gru for a guy who already has a shaved head is his long, pointy nose.  Nellie and I visited shops looking for a witch nose or the like, but ultimately ended up with a foam cone which I shaved and shaped to look Gru-ish and then covered in masking tape and used duct tape to stick to my face.  

I got outfitted with some great evil super-villain accessories like a silly string "freeze ray" gun, a shrunken moon, some balloons that I made into balloon puppies and promptly popped, and a couple of minion mylar balloons from the grocery store.  The costume and requisite accent and oddness were enough to win second place in my company contest.  It was a lot of fun acting like Gru when our office opened up to the trick or treat portion of the day where are the employee's children come around for candy.  There were even some kids who insisted on getting a picture with me.  In the department of going completely over the top, Nellie was kind enough to make a fantastic replica of the book that Gru writes in the movie called "One Big Unicorn"

One Big Unicorn by: Gru

One big unicorn strong and free thought he was happy as he could be

Then three little kittens came around and turned his whole life upside down!

They made him laugh!  They made him cry.

He never should have said goodbye.

And now he knows he could never part, from those three little kittens that changed his heart.

The book was the hit of the day!  Most people who recognized it from the movie could not believe Nellie had made it.  Somewhat par for the course for Nellie who even made illustrations for the last page in the book which we only hear and don't see on the movie.  The past two nights I have read it as a bedtime story for our little girls and they love it also.  

It's a puppet book

Nellie declined to dress up as anything other than what she normally is: a beautiful mom.  She was great to haul the kids around and help out at school parties etc.  She is really superwoman in everyday life, maybe it's nice to not dress up.  

Tubby Tuesday: Milagros

Welcome to another edition of Tubby Tuesday!  It's been so much fun to share some places that we love to eat at--I take particular satisfaction when people actually have tried out the places we've recommended through ShareThePants.  So far, we have received only positive feedback on the recommended restaurants and I expect it to continue for this weeks visit to a place of miracles, an aptly named Mexican restaurant called Milagros.  

Located in the heart of Utah valley, Milagros is a Mexican restaurant with a nice twist to it.  It is located just above Winco on 800 North in Orem.  The establishment has been full or nearly full every time we have visited (during both lunch and dinner hours), yet we have only had to wait to be seated once--so briefly I washed my hands and we were ready to go to our table (miracle, no?).  

Milagros has one of the most interesting back stories I've ever heard.  The owner is surprisingly willing to share his journey in a pretty unvarnished manner which is kind of refreshing.  Once when we were at lunch, he visited our table and told us some of his experiences--he's a really nice guy.  The long and short of it is: they started Rosa's first, Bajio second, helped to build the Harley Davidson dealership (the beautiful building off of 1600 N in Orem), and then started Milagros.  

While I have enjoyed the other restaurants they've started, Milagros is a cut above.  It's pretty clear they learned from earlier experiences and this feels like a masterpiece.  On my first visit our waitress recommended the Queso Fundido as one of our appetizers.  It no sooner arrived at the table then no other queso dip would ever truly do it for me again.  Cheese + cream cheese + sour cream + chiles and spices + heaven (? my own recipe approximation)= queso fundido.  I have never failed to order it upon returning.  In fact, we have been known to make a run to Milagros solely for the queso fundido.  

The Best Ribs I've Ever Tasted 

Milagros also has the best ribs I have ever tasted!  I know what you're thinking: "ribs? at a mexican restaurant?" but they totally work with the menu and sides.  These ribs are AMAZING; they are marinated for 2 days in fruit juice, and then roasted for 8 hours.  Then when you order them they are sauced up and grilled.  They come in two varieties: honey bbq or spicy jalapeno bbq sauce (isn't it unnecessary to call a jalapeno sauce spicy?) and both are delicious.  The spicy jalapeno ribs are maybe a bit hot for anyone that is overly sensitive to spice.  

Another dish that I love is Barry's Pollo Fundido (anyone wanna take a wild stab as to why?).  It is basically a huge chicken burrito/chimichanga covered with ample amounts of queso fundido  (did you guess correctly?  If you did, give yourself a whole Tubby Tuesday point!).  The hardest part about eating at Milagros for me is deciding whether to get the ribs or the pollo fundido.

The sides are also great.  One of Nellie and I's favorite parts of Bajio was their sweet onion that you could have added to your order.  At Milagros they have taken the onion to a whole new level.  Instead of a few sections of onion, you can get a whole sweet onion deliciously caramelized and ready to dig into.  Knowing that onions don't float everyone's boat, I can't say you must try one, but be open to it, even if you don't like onions--otherwise you will never know for sure.  It would be a shame to not just try.  The borracho beans are also a great choice.  They are basically fancy baked beans.  I think they taste pretty good.  

While I already loved Milagros from my first visit, my respect grew when they sat us by the window to the kitchen.  Inside the kitchen is a cool old table where the elite diners get to sit (more on this later).  Above the stove, out of most customers' sight, runs a long shelf that contains some really great BYU memorabilia.  It always makes me happy to see things like that.  I love that it isn't really out for display in the restaurant, but something you have to look for.  On my last visit I found out that my favorite college football coach catches some meals at the VIP table on occasion.  I think Bronco has great taste!

Milagros is a Coke restaurant which is always a plus in Nellie and I's book.  Honestly my only complaint about Milagros is that they aren't open late enough.  I hear they may be open later, but last time I checked the closing time was about 9:00 pm, which is just a little early for us sometimes.  Overall I would implore you to visit Milagros, because Tubby Tuesday is all about making you happier one bite at a time.  Enjoy!

Tubby Tuesday: Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory DIY: Fail

by Nell.

One of my all-time favorite flavor combination is caramel/apple.  Fall seems to be the "popular" season for enjoying these two together, and I see it in all kinds of candy, breads, drinks, and recently in a fabulous shake I had at Steak 'n Shake.  Yummers.  While cruising the grocery store the other day, I had a hankering for one of my favorite treats, the grasshopper carmel apple from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.  Alas, it no longer exists.  For some reason they told us last time we went in for one that they weren't allowed to make them any more.  Total bummer.  But I saw the giant bin of wrapped caramels at the grocery store and I thought, "Dude, I could make one.  It can't be that hard."

It took Trev and the kids a good chunk of time unwrapping all those caramels.  Why don't they just sell them unwrapped?  We melted it on the stove, and despite the high heat of the caramel, it didn't really "dip" on smooth, the way I envisioned.  More like gobbledy gook.  I decided not to worry too much--once I dipped it in chocolate, I was sure it would all smooth out.  Ha ha ha...the melted chocolate only emphasized the caramel bumps and lumps.  I was trying to think fast.  How could I save these ugly things?  I decided to mash up some oreos and sprinkle them on the chocolate.  That surely would mask my mistakes.  But all the oreos did was drip and drag the chocolate down the apple, causing it to pool at the base.  The ugliness was increasing exponentially by the second.

In a last ditch effort to save the apples' aesthetics, I thought of a technique I've seen where you drizzle chocolate over the top, kind of like this:

I found this image on Pinterest, but it had no origin or information so I couldn't credit the photographer.

This is how we ended up:

So kind of like the same thing, right?  ;)  I give it a D+ for presentation.


Undeterred from their appearance, the kids were excited to try them anyway.

Scott opted for the "Apple-Free" version

As Birdie sat at the table making nummy-noises, she sighed and said, "These taste just like those one apples you used to love."

I smiled to myself.  Fail.

Framable Wall Art

By Nell.
Eva presented us with this today.  Once we deciphered her 1st grade language, we laughed so hard.

"I love everyone but Satan and Hannah Montana"