This advice from the WICA seems like the safest, easiest way…

“The only relatively safe chemical that we know of to clean white ironstone china is hydrogen peroxide, and it is used frequently. Its chemical formula (H2O2) is very similar to water (H2O), but it has an extra oxygen atom. This gives hydrogen peroxide the ability to oxidize organic and inorganic materials, producing water as a reaction byproduct. This makes it useful as an agent to both whiten the stain and make the stain easier to be flushed from the china.

If you want to try cleaning a piece with hydrogen peroxide, buy the regular 3% hydrogen peroxide in the grocery or drug store. Buy enough to cover your piece as you soak it. Put the peroxide in a tightly lidded plastic container. After several days, take the piece out and put it in strong sunlight, so the hydrogen peroxide vaporizes from the heat. You can also try to bake the piece in an electric oven, at the lowest possible temperature, not to exceed 200 degrees. Using a gas oven could cause a fire or an explosion when the hydrogen peroxide is heated. Heating in an electric oven is safe to you, but your dishes could very well break. Heating in sunlight takes longer, but is safer for the dishes. You can repeat this process until the piece is clean.

WARNING!! Using a stronger solution of peroxide is extremely dangerous. It can burn the skin off your hands and cause permanent damage to mucous membranes, and unless you know chemistry very well you could have an explosion. Leave the work with stronger hydrogen peroxide to the professionals.

After you have cleaned your white ironstone piece, wash it thoroughly, as any cleaning chemicals that remain can migrate into your food.”

Kim uses peroxide solution used by hair stylists, but that’s not as readily available as 3% hydrogen peroxide.  It might be better to use for darker stains, though.  Just make sure you follow all of the directions and use common sense when working with these chemicals.

I have a gas stove, so I would definitely use the sunlight method (and I’m just skittish about fire anyway.)  Let’s face it, it’s not worth blowing up your kitchen to remove a stain from a piece of ironstone.

I hope you agree.

Lastly, don’t ever use bleach to clean ironstone.  Bleach will destroy the piece.

Check out Ironstone 101 for more information about what ironstone is and how to spot it.

In case you didn’t see, my home was featured on Houzz this week.  Thanks so much to Susan for writing such a complimentary article about my house!

The nominated firehouses are Redondo Beach Fire Station #1, Palos Fire Protection District #1, Sheridan Fire District, Yonkers Engine Co. 306 and FDNY Squad 61.  Please take a minute to visit here and vote!

Disclaimer: I have been paid to post about this event, but I think it’s an excellent contest and a small way we can say thanks to the men and women who serve our communities.  All opinions are my own.

I can’t show what I’m working on, but I can show a few sneak peeks…

…and my house is a mess.

Mini is helping to keep me straight, though.  She even cleaned out my van today, since it was a disaster.

Despite the stress and the hard work, I’m really enjoying this process and I’m learning so much about what I would do differently if I ever write another book.

If you need a smile, visit my Facebook page and read through the improptu meeting of the “I’m me and I’m awesome” club.  Some very awesome ladies shared a little bit about themselves and you can’t help but smile at all of the awesomeness.  You’re welcome to join in as well.

We have a weekly movie night with our boys.  My husband and I pick a movie they haven’t seen and we snuggle on the couch, eating popcorn.  The movie last night was Kung Fu Panda.  The premise of the movie is that an overweight, clumsy panda named Po is selected as the chosen one to fight and be victorious over the antagonist.  He must reach the highest level of kung fu in order to be worthy to receive the dragon scroll that holds the secret to victory. (Spoiler alert!)  Everyone’s guessing it will give the recipient magical powers or make him invincible.  When Po earns the scroll, he opens it up to see only a reflective piece of paper.  Disappointed, he goes back to his father to work in a noodle restaurant again.  He’s going to leave the fighting to the “real” kung fu experts.  His father is pleased he returned and finally reveals the secret ingredient to the family’s noodle recipe.  It’s nothing.  There isn’t a secret ingredient.  The noodles are special because of the person who makes them.  That revelation leads Po to understand the dragon scroll.  The dragon scroll doesn’t give any secret weapon.  It reveals that the secret weapon is you.  The recipient.  Then he goes and kicks butt and saves the entire town.

OK, are you still with me?  What’s the secret ingredient to a great blog?  Yes, things like SEO and link exchanges and all of that stuff can help with your numbers, but ultimately the success or failure of your blog depends on YOU.  You’re the secret ingredient.  Can you image The Lettered Cottage without Layla & Kevin, Centsational Girl without Kate or Thrifty Decor Chic without Sarah?  Absolutely not. They are the driving force behind each of those amazing blogs.  They are the secret ingredient.

So, what does that mean practically?

YOU are the only YOU -

Take advantage of your uniqueness.  Being different will set you apart and people will visit often for your ideas, writing, humor, projects, etc. that aren’t like every other blog out there.

Your readers are your friends -

I get so many sweet e-mails from ladies who say they feel like they’re my friend.  Well, I feel that way too.  When I sit down to write, it’s like having a little chat with a girlfriend, which I really need most days.  It doesn’t mean you have to be super personal.  Just be honest and real and let them into your world.

You are special -

If you come to your blog with the mindset that you’re a loser and you’ll never be able to stand out from the crowd of other DIY bloggers, that’s going to show in your writing.  I don’t even have to know you to know you’re special and have a lot to offer.  You don’t have to be a grammarian, spelling champ or term paper whiz to write a blog post.  Just write the way you speak and let go of the insecurities about it.  My mom proofs my blog posts and she almost always finds something that needs to be corrected.  I’m over it.  You don’t have to be the best at what you do, just be you.  That’s enough.  Know that YOU ARE THE SECRET INGREDIENT and own it.

You can grow -

A wonderful thing about being human is that we can learn and grow.  If your photography is terrible, work on improving it.  If you struggle with using social media, (ugh, amen) then work on it little by little until you’re proficient. We all have room to grow, so don’t be discouraged if you feel like it’s a slow process.  Just work at your own pace.

You don’t have to be anyone else -

We’ve established that you’re you and that’s enough.  So, you don’t have to compete with anyone else.  You don’t have to top anyone else.  You don’t have to measure yourself against the success of others.  I think women do that especially.  We walk in a room and see who’s skinnier than we are or who has a better outfit.  We judge ourselves harshly and take it personally.  Maybe we need a little “I’m me and I’m awesome” affirmation club or something.   I know it’s easier said than done, but it’s true.  Let go of the notion that life is a big competition and you’re losing.

Your blog can be what YOU want it to be -

It’s so much easier when I’m writing for my blog and not for one of my editors.  It can be whatever I want it to be.  The format doesn’t matter, the subject is what’s on my mind or heart and I don’t have to go back and redo anything, because I’m the only one deciding if it’s suitable for publication.  Your blog can be whatever you want it to be and look like whatever you want it to and the content can be what you want.  It can be a hobby, a diary, a way to connect, a business or an outlet.  It’s all yours and you don’t have to fit in a box.

Don’t you feel good knowing all of those things?  Isn’t it freeing?

 Now that you know the secret, go out there and kick some butt.

I love the thumbnail for this video. You can totally see my “Doh!” expression.  I hope you have a good giggle.

I’ve been painting a beast of a china cabinet today for the book and I love how it’s turning out.  I’ll show you some sneak peeks over the next couple of days.

Well, I finished chapter ten of my book!!!  I know there is still going to be a ton of rewriting and editing, but it’s so nice to have the bulk of it “out there.”  On the days I felt stuck, I reminded myself that there’s nothing to edit or improve if I don’t write, so I just kept plugging away and it all came together.  I’ve been really praying that God would give me the words to write that would be an encouragement to those who read it.  So, we’ll see how it goes.

Now I’m moving on to the photography, projects, painting, styling and photography work.  I have less than two weeks to get it all done…EEP…so I’m going to be a very busy girl the next couple of weeks.  I’m really looking forward to having a brush in hand again, though, and I love styling for photos, so it’s going to be a lot of fun.

So, without further delay and ramblings from me, here are my favorites from last week’s FFF…

Natalie from Natalme turned a rather dated and tired looking mail sorter into this very chic-looking display for her vintage camera collection.   Don’t you just want a mail sorter, now?  …And a vintage camera collection?  I do.

Connie from Salvage Savvy transformed a pretty sad-looking laminate bookcase into this stunning beauty.  I love her styling for it as well.  Very glam!

May from Achieving Clarity found a brilliant way to give a dresser a makeover without painting over gorgeous wood.  She taped off stripes, crosses and the drawers and painted the rest of the dresser in a black wash of paint.  When the tape was removed, it gives this gorgeous inlay affect and allows the beauty of the wood to still show through.   I love this idea!

Here are the rules for our furniture get-together…

1.) Your post has to be about furniture. Please, please, please…just furniture. If you find your link has been deleted, it’s not because I’m mean, it’s because your post was not about furniture. You can share makeovers, awesome finds, favorite pieces, furniture arrangements, or even pieces on your wish list! Built-in furniture like kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities qualify as furniture.

2.) Post a permalink (the link to the post), not the link to your blog.

3.) This party will close Friday at midnight PST and I will choose my favorite(s) and feature their piece(s) on next week’s FFF.

Enjoy the party!

Last week I went to Lucketts to have some pictures taken of myself for the book, my blog and promotional purposes.  It’s pretty funny that I didn’t post my picture for the first year of blogging, but I finally got over the fear of having my picture on the Internet.  There are times when you just need to take the plunge.  So, here are a few of my favorites…

All of these pictures were taken by the amazing Jody McKitrick.

My two main requests of Jody were to capture my personality and to bring out my eyes and she did both amazingly well.  Posing was a little awkward at first, but I was soon tossing my hair and batting my eyes like a pro.

I’m halfway done with chapter 10 of my book (out of 10 chapters), so I’m about ready to work on the projects, painting, styling and photography.  Woohoo!!  I’ve been sitting at my computer all day for a few weeks, so it’ll be nice to be up and about.  I’ll also be able to show you some sneak peeks of what I’m up to, so there will be a lot more to post about.   I have exactly two weeks until my manuscript deadline, so I have a lot of work ahead of me!

As I was writing, I was focused on being an encouragement to those who eventually read the book, but this evening God used it to speak to me.  “Be content with where I have you.”  It makes me so sad that I have to be reminded of that in this wonderful season of my life.  It points out the wickedness and sinful nature of my own heart.

Ouch.

…but His mercies are new every morning and I’m so thankful for that.  I’m thankful for the truths God showed me about myself today.  It’s hard for me to share, but I wanted to be transparent and honest.  (My heart always pounds when I write posts like this…)

Do you struggle with contentment or am I all by my lonesome, here?

OK, so here’s what the hydrangeas are about…

I bought them to use in some photo shoots for my book and I snapped a couple of pictures of them yesterday.   I’m glad I did, because today they were totally wilted.  Big bummer.  So, they won’t make it in the book, but I do get to share them here today.

Mini is so sweet to me that in addition to caring for my boys today, she steam cleaned my family room carpet.   I’ve been putting it off because I’m really looking forward to installing hardwood floors, but it was starting to look like a leopard print and it was time to deal with it.  Plus the hardwood floors are probably still a few months out.  Thank you, Mini.  I don’t know how I could manage without you!

(I put a water mark on this picture because I know everyone is going to want to pin it.)

I think I’m going to put a big thank you giveaway together…  You’ve all been so encouraging to me during this whirlwind and I appreciate it more than you know!

Once the light grey was dry, which didn’t take long, I sanded the edges with 80 grit sand paper. I like a really rough sand paper for this step, because it leaves great scratches in the paint. I also like to do this step by hand. It’s harder on the biceps, but I have more control and it looks more natural than an electric palm sander.  Instead of rubbing the sand paper back and forth, rub it across the surface in one long stroke, while applying hard pressure to the sandpaper.

While at Lucketts, I did refill my space with some things from my house and took some pictures of my own to use in the book.  Here are some of the pictures I took that aren’t going in the book…

It was so good to be there again.  I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed it and all of the people there.

I finished chapter seven of the book today and I’m halfway through eight (of a ten chapter book), so I can see a light at the end of the writing-all-day-in-sweatpants tunnel!  Then I’ll be moving onto the painting-all-day-in-sweatpants and taking-pictures-all-day-in-sweatpants phase.  Oh, the joys!