Hand Made Christmas Presents

Come Christmas time my family always does such a wonderful job of finding, or making, each other the nicest gifts. This year I got some really wonderful hand made gifts, one of them being this charming "White House Farm" sign that my sister made me.

She knows that I love black and white signs and cows:) I decided to hang it in the kitchen and I couldn't be more tickled with it. My sister is so talented, she is the one that makes the signs that I sell in my Etsy shop . She had a very busy year this past year with my niece getting married but she has started a whole new batch of one of a kind signs for my shop. And if there is something in particular you may want on one let me know because we can do custom orders.

Above the sign I hung an ironstone plate that I got at the flea market for 25 cents this past summer. It is in the Wheat pattern, my favorite.

I also wanted to take the time answer one of my reader questions....Lori asked what treatment I use on our butcher block counter top. When we first moved in and put the Ikea Numerar counter tops in I only used the butcher block oil ( it is food grade approved) that they sell at Ikea on them.

But as time passed I noticed some water damage occuring on the right side of the sink where the dishwasher is. Ikea has a protective shield that goes between your dishwasher and counter top to protect it but I am an obsessive counter wiper and I often lay dishes on a towel to dry there and the butcher block oil wasn't providing enough protection. I decided that I needed to use something else in this area and I don't actually ever chop food on this part of the counter so I didn't need something food grade safe. The best part about a wood counter top is that it is sand-able if it does get stained or damaged. I sanded the counter to get off the parts that were starting to get water damaged and then I applied 4 coats of semi-gloss polyurethane.

You can see in the picture that the right side is shinier than the left.

As for the left side where I do my chopping I only use the butcher block oil. I apply it with a rag every couple of months, usually when we are about to go away for the weekend so that it can really seep in.