Cha...cha...cha...changes!

What do you do when global warming has made it too hot to stick your head outside? Stay inside and rearrange the living room furniture, of course. One of the things I absolutely love about all my Shabby Chic/Beach Cottage things is that no matter where I put them, they always look right. I can take any piece of furniture or any knick-knack and move it to any spot in the room or any room in the house and it fits right in. So, today, while washing my white slipcovers, I decided I would make some changes.

I mentioned in a previous post that I like to use pillowcases as couch cushions. I decided to go peach and put the peach floral cases on the couch along with a great peach-toned patchwork quilt. Next, I angled my sidechair in front of the old hoosier-style cabinet and moved my hand-me-down lamp table in front of the window.

Four of my favorite changes are 1) putting the Simply Shabby Chic wicker side table next to the couch with my bell jars, sea glass and souvenir shell coasters; 2) putting my souvenir star fish in a McCoy Bowl on the coffee table; 3) placing my all-time favorite 50s aqua, cane style magazine rack in front of the lamp table; and 4) using my Shabby Chic decorating books as accessories on the little green desk.

It's amazing how moving the furniture can take a nothing day and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile, a la Mary Richards. I feel sooooooo much better now.

Hi...hi....Ms. American Pie!

All of this phony hullabaloo about the changing 14th amendment and rewriting it so we can pick and choose which babies born on American soil should get the privilege of calling themselves American citizens got me thinking about how incredibly fortunate all of us natural-born Americans are. By some stroke of pure luck, we landed in the greatest country on earth. And one way or another, with the exception of the Native Americans, we are all descendants of immigrants, legal and otherwise. Now, some absolute fools want to change the constitution to say that being born on American soil isn't enough to be an American. I say, "Nonsense!"

In honor of the 14th amendment and the beautiful melting pot that is America, I decided to bake one of my famous apple pies and share the recipe and the photos with you. Enjoy! (P.S. The secret is the buttermilk crust and the sugar on top.)

Buttermilk Pie Crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt (very important!)

2/3 cup cold Crisco

3 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/3 cup buttermilk.

Mix flour and salt. Cut in crisco and butter that has been cut into small chunks. Mix oil and buttermilk and pour into flour mixture. Mix just until all ingredients are combine. Divide the dough into two sections and flatten each out to a small disc. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the freezer. Proceed to the apples...

Apple Pie

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Dash of salt

6 cups of peeled and thinly diced apples

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced into little squares

2 teaspoons water

1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix first six ingredients together well. Roll out bottom pie crust and place in a 9" pie pan. Pour in apple mixture and cover with butter pieces. Roll out top pie crust and place over top of apples. Seal the upper and bottom crusts the best you can. Brush the top of the crust with water and sprinkle with the sugar. Cut about 4 slits in the top so the pie can breathe while it cooks. Cover the edges of the crust with a crust protector to keep it from burning.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes until golden brown and then get ready to taste the most amazing pie you've ever had in your mouth. God bless America and all the babies born here!