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Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Lake House Decor - what canoe do with the things you love? We show you here

If you own a lake house you probably spend a good amount of time searching for the perfect lake house decor.  Searching, seeking, picking and digging is part of the experience and can be oh so rewarding.

When asked what makes decorating the lake house any different than a "regular" house my answer is always the same.  "You don't want your lake house to look like your regular house."

Case in point.

Would you want this for your regular house entry?



No?  But wouldn't it make a fantastic entry at the lake? This entry would set the stage for the lake house decor once your guests pass the threshold.

Now let's say you were looking for a focal point for an entry.  Well, at your regular house I doubt if your decorator would suggest hanging a boat or canoe from the ceilings.  But here...lake house decor rules the roost!






Just add lighting for an amazing chandelier



And who wouldn't want this for their study or work room at the lake or cabin?


Finally, we all know all to well that you never know how many friends you have until you own a lake house.  It's a corny saying that holds a lot of truth.  So entertaining guests might be high on your priority lists and (again) we want it to reflect our love of the lake.

Entertaining made easy  = serve yourself.  
And there's no better beverage vessel than one that used to float.  Just look at what you canoe with these vintage boats.  And if you happen to operate an event or catering company that caters to lake loving clients - one of these is a must have.  Perfect for a lakeside wedding or family reunion.







Click here to view our Vintage Boat Inventory

And for all other lake house decor please visit us online where you'll find our most popular lake decor items available 24/7.  




Happy Lakeorating!

Cindy









Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Buzz Off - a guide to mosquito free lake time




We will get right to the point of this blog post.  
Mosquitoes can ruin most any outing in a matter of minutes.





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One minute your family is frolicking at the water's edge the next minute they are stampeding to the lake house for cover.  


As we interviewed our customers about their frustrations with lake life we heard a lot about mosquitoes, "the mosquitoes in Northern MN!! If someone could figure out how to get rid of them they'd be rich"


Well, we don't know how to get rid of them.  

But we do have some ideas on repellent worthy of your consideration.  And because we have grandchildren who want to spend every waking moment outside playing until the sun sets (the prime time to get bit) we are reluctant to spray them with commercial chemicals such as DEET so we opt for a more homeopathic approach.  

Lakehouse Outfitters gives you three ways to avoid and repel mosquitoes to insure a more enjoyable time at the lake (or cabin, or backyard or where ever).

1.  Stay indoors and make homemade lemonade and chocolate chip cookies; two activities everyone can participate in and enjoy as an alternative to being bitten mosquitoes.  Probably not what you were looking for but doesn't that sound yummy?


2.  Arm yourself with a small yet powerful bottle of doTerra TerraShield.   
Protect yourself and your family with doTerra essential oils! TerraShield essential oil blend contains 15 essential oils that have been proven to be more effective at repelling biting insects than synthetic repellents. Just a small amount smoothed on your skin, behind your ears, neck, inside elbows and knees will provide powerful coverage for up to 6 hours.  And it smells good - the bugs won't like it but you will.  You can find it online - I just bought two bottles, one for the lake house and one for my daughter's house for the grand daughters.  We were out on her patio the other night and the girls were getting bit like mad, which makes Kiki mad!



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3.  Whip up a batch of All-Natural Homemade Bug Spray that works - we found this easy recipe online thanks to Wellness Mama. Note: She's also using essential oils



Wellness Mama Bug Spray Ingredients:

  • Essential Oils choose from Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Cajeput, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Catnip, Lavender, Mint
  • Natural Witch Hazel
  • Distilled or boiled Water
  • Vegetable glycerin (optional)

How to Make Homemade Bug Spray:

  1. Fill spray bottle (I used 8 ounce) 1/2 full with distilled or boiled water
  2. Add witch hazel to fill almost to the top
  3. Add 1/2 tsp vegetable glycerin if using
  4. Add 30-50 drops of essential oils to desired scent. The more oils you use, the stronger the spray will be. My personal favorite mix is: Rosemary, Clove, Cajeput, Lavender, Cinnamon and Eucalyptus… it works great and smells good too!
Check out more recipes including her super strong insect repellent that STINKS by clicking Her Blog Here


And if you're still bugged by all of this - we've included the gardeners guide to keeping pests off plants.  Thanks doTerra!

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Thursday, July 10, 2014

Step By Step Homemade Tortilla Chip Recipe - WARNING may become addictive


Have you ever had a food craving only to realize your pantry (or fridge) was void of this item?

It seems to happen to us all the time which is a bummer because we are lazy and don't want to make a special trip to the grocery.  So most of the time, we go without.

One such evening, with a Lakehouse Outfitters Signature margarita in hand we were craving tortilla chips and homemade salsa (or pico as we like to call it) only to open the pantry door to discover the bag of chips had mysteriously disappeared.  hmmmmm.

Devastated, my husband reached for the corn tortillas and exclaimed "I bet you could make them!" A redemption attempt perhaps?

In any case, this is when we discovered how easy and delicious home made tortilla chips are and how impressed our guests are when they come to the lake for happy hour to find me slaving over a hot stove making homemade tortilla chips.  They are oh so delish and oh so easy.  


Step 1:  Buy Corn Tortillas and Crisco and keep them in your pantry as a stock item.

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Step 2:  When ready to treat yourself or your guests grab a heavy pan or dutch oven to use as your fryer.

Step 3:  Melt the Crisco until very hot, but not smoking 

Step 4:  Remove the corn tortillas from the package and cut the entire stack into triangles


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Step 5:  Scatter the triangles on top of the hot oil until a single layer has formed.  cook until the tortilla starts to bubble and brown and then turn and cook the other side until the desired color and crisp is attained.

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 Remove from oil and let rest on a paper towel to soak up any excess oil and salt to taste.  Transfer into serving bowl and expect nibblers - the warm chips are irresistible.



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 REPEAT until all chips are cooked.

Once all the chips are cooked and seasoned, simply serve with your favorite salsa and a Lakehouse Outfitters Signature Margarita.



Don't have the LHO Margarita recipe? Click HERE

Enjoy - I'm off to melt some Crisco!

Cindy





Tuesday, July 8, 2014

On the way to the lake


Most of us have experienced the stress that leaves our bodies as soon as we pile in the car, buckle up and are on the road to the lake house.  It's an amazing feeling.  For the next hour or two (if you're lucky) your sub conscience is preparing your mind and body to be On Lake Time.

The closer you get to the lake house the more roadside treasures you start to see.
This past week we were delighted by stands selling fresh fruit and veggies along with the mega-fireworks vendors who surely sold out of product as the fireworks show from across the lake was spectacular!   


Here are a few of our favorite snaps from this past week while we were On Lake Time.

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This nice man was set up roadside selling out of his pick up truck.  


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We found these beauties at the local farmers market.  
Pretty hard to beat a perfectly ripe peach unless it's a sliced ripe peach on top of homemade vanilla ice cream  Just sayin'


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Fresh garden grown tomatoes grown locally which made the best pico served with corn chips made from corn tortillas.  WARNING:  you may never again buy store packaged tortilla chips

(pico and corn tortilla how to in our next blog post - coming soon)

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This photo is a little blurry because it was taken from the car as we passed by.  
A return visit with cash in hand was put on our July 3rd To Do List.

Hope you made some new memories at the lake this past weekend and found a few roadside treasures along the way.

Cindy

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

What's New Wednesday . . . it's B A C K!

In the days of LHO Design & Consign, one of the most loved blog posts was our weekly, What's new Wednesday.  So we thought it only fitting to bring it out of the storage bin, give it a good dusting and announce our news.


Our online business is growing to the point we had to find it a home and move it out of our garage.
So we found the perfect building with enough space to allow us to put together an LHO type of retail venue.

The Boatique

A sales event venue - open when we say we're open and have the inventory to warrant your time.
As with LHO Design & Consign we'll have:

Vintage and Industrial Finds
Market Samples - Furniture and Accessories

And we'll have everything we sell online that ships from Texas
Click Here for Lakehouse Outfitters ONLINE

 . . . plus a few little surprises along the way.

OPEN THIS WEEK!  Thursday and Friday (7/3-7/4)
Cindy will be here 9a-4p both days
Kate and Mendy will be working Canton (Row 46) for an LHO Double Header weekend!

Here's a sneak peek at the new digs and our opening inventory.
This weekend will be our soft opening, which means we'll be OPEN but possibly not as organized as we might like to be.

Our address:

5300 Log Cabin, Texas 75148

EASIEST ROUTE  from Dallas: Take 175 towards Kaufman to State Hiway 198.  Travel south on 198 (exit Mabank)  - you'll cross Cedar Creek Lake twice.  We will be the first business on the east side of 198 just after the second bridge.  If you go over a 3rd bridge and end up in Malakoff at Hiway 31 you've gone too far south.

If you're looking for an day trip - we'd love to see you.

Call Cindy's Cell if you need directions:
214-766-8868