Feb 27, 2013

Elegant Bathroom Makeover

Guys, I made it into the final 3 in SYTYC! Woohoo! Thanks to everyone for the votes. You guys are fantastic and I really really appreciate the support.

I love how last week's challenge turned out. I have hated my bathroom for the last 5 years. Let's just pretend it was the first owners who painted the bathroom that color. And let's also pretend my Mom didn't warn me that I would hate it and that it would turn the bathroom into a deep dark hole of a room mmmkay?? I've regretted painting it ever since and finally got the gumption to paint it back. My husband thought I was crazy going with white and told me it would take forever but lo and behold it didn't! I used Behr Paint & Primer in one and it seriously worked wonders! I covered that dark dark paint in only 2 and a half coats. Then I had the wonderful idea to paint my cabinets blue. Love. Them. I painted them my very favorite color, sanded the edges and used my all-time favorite glaze to finish it off. Then we hung my thrifted mirror up and I was one happy girl. It looks so big now {even though it truly is tiny} All I need is a fun light fixture/chandelier and it would be complete. I love my new elegant bathroom SO much compared to the black hole it was! Hope you like it too :)












My favorite part about this makeover was it was inexpensive, relatively easy, and quick! It was completely finished in about 6 hours. I had to break it up over 2 days while my little lovelies were sleeping :) And here's the breakdown...

-Behr Powdered Snow white paint...$32
-Thrifted mirror.................................$30
-Towels {Target. LOVE}.................free (I used Shopkicks for these)
-Rug {Anthropologie}......................$20
-Cabinets Blue Custom Mix..............free

Grand Total: Under $100!! And it makes a world of difference in our home! 

Feb 22, 2013

Apartments.com

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of apartments.com for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 photo Apts_PrfctFit_rgbjpg_zpsf00a594a.jpg

When Kyle and I were first married, looking for apartments was a drag.  I hated it. Going from place to place, they all seemed to blend together. I knew we couldn't decorate it so it wasn't very exciting for me. I also got overwhelmed with all of the different options. apartments.com helps you narrow down exactly what you want easily. I went on apartments.com just for fun and I didn't realize they have houses for rent listed as well! It was pretty cool. I searched around our area to see what was listed. It was interesting to see what the apartments & houses were listed at. We also have talked about renting our house out and it was helpful to get comparisons in our area. It seriously took seconds to pull up my area and what was available around us. They also have an app you can put on your phone, ipad or tablet, which would make it even easier if I was actively looking for somewhere to move. Fantastic! All you do is type in your zipcode and it brings up a ton of options for you to choose from. There were plenty of houses & apartments for me to look through and had great information on each.

If you're looking for somewhere to rent in the near future I would definitely reccomend apartments.com to make it a little bit easier on yourself!

Also, if you want updates and info fast on apartments.com you can follow them on Titter @apstcom!

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Feb 21, 2013

Easy Homemade Crescent Rolls

These rolls are divine. And they are easy. Could it get any better than that?? They are a process, like all bread but I swear there is no way to mess these up.
roll1
Dissolve yeast in 1 c almost hot water, sprinkle with 1 T sugar. roll16
Slightly melt 1 cube butter. (I usually do about 20 sec. in microwave.)
roll15
Combine with sugar, eggs, & saltroll13roll14roll12
Add yeast mixture after it has risen and is all frothy, like so…

roll11
Stir, and dump in 4 cups flour.
roll10
Mix thoroughly with a fork, cover, and let rise…
roll9
until doubled. Then, cut in half. Roll each portion out into a circle on a floured surface.roll8
Spread your circle with butter roll7
Cut into 16 wedges.
roll5
Roll each wedge into a crescent shaped roll.
roll6
Lay out your rolls onto baking sheets, cover and let rise (about 1hour and a half) Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10 min.
roll4
roll3
ENJOY!!
roll2
-1 T yeast (or 1 pkg no
t quick rising)
-1 cup almost hot water
-1 Tbs sugar
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 cube margarine or butter
-4 c flour
-1/2 c sugar
-2 beaten eggs
Dissolve yeast in 1 c almost hot water (110 degrees) Sprinkle with 1 T sugar. Slightly melt butter (20 sec) Combine with sugar, eggs, & salt. Add yeast mixture after it has risen & is all frothy. Then, stir & dump in 4 c flour (yellow pkg better for bread flour). Mix thoroughly with a fork, let rise (while covered with a paper towel) until doubled. Divide in half & roll into a circle. Spread with soft margarine, cut into 8 wedges, then cut each of those in half (16 in all). Roll into crescent shapes (roll wedge side first). Lay out on baking sheet with rolled end down, covered again with paper towels. Raise again about 1 ½ hrs. Bake at 375 for 8-10 min.







Feb 18, 2013

Valentine's Outfits

Here is my project from last week. Thanks everyone for your votes I truly appreciate the support. I had so much fun with this project and glad you guys liked it too :)

The first thing I thought of for "Red" was "VALENTINE's OUTFITS!!" So excited. I've been wanting to make some cute love day outfits and this was my shot. I pulled out my cute striped jersey and made a little pattern for some cardigans. I thought it would be cute to add some fun heart patches on the elbows. Originally I was going to use some plain red jersey, but, I found some cute red polka dot socks in my fabric stash and knew they were meant to be the hearts :) I hand sewed them on using a blanket stitch. When I finished the cardigans, I felt like we needed more. So, I pulled out some red stretch lace and used it as an overlay on my plain red jersey I had bought for the hearts. It was PERFECT for a Valentine's day midi skirt. Top it off with a fun headband and my girlies are set for the big day.








Feb 15, 2013

Friday Faves {no. 25}

Happy Friday everybody! Tomorrow is my middle babies 3rd birthday. Time is flying way too fast for my liking...Here are my Faves for the week.

1. I LOVE my new rug I just got from Target. It's about time I get a rug for my bare kitchen floor...




2. This Lace Peplum top is perfection.

3. Samoas are my all time favorite girl scout cookie. ever. I haven't opened mine yet because once I start, I can't stop.

4. I love this bracelet from Jcrew. Apparently I'm loving coral lately...
5. I could die over this Valentine's set-up. Gorgeous.





Feb 14, 2013

Creamy Potato Soup

I love love potato soup. And my Mom’s recipe is my all time favorite. It’s creamy and delicious and has a slight sweetness to it. Put it in a bread boule and I am in heaven on a rainy night.
pot souppot soup2
Creamy Potato Soup
-6 med potatoes cubed
-3 stalks of celery sliced & diced
-1 med onion chopped
-1 qt heavy cream
-1 cube butter
-3/4 cup flour
-3 tsp sugar (more or less depending on preference)
-Salt & Pepper to taste
*Cut all of your veggies and cover in water. Bring to a boil, then turn down to med/high heat and cook until tender. While veggies are cooking, melt butter in saucepan and then add in flour to create a rue. Slowly add in the heavy cream and cook on med heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Add in milk if you want more soup. Once the cream mixture is thickened add it to the veggie/water mix and stir. Add in the sugar, salt and pepper. Serve with lots of cheese on top in a bread boule or with some yummy rolls.

Feb 13, 2013

Last Minute "Bubble" Valentines {Free Printable}

Hey ya'll! Happy early Valentine's Day! Have you seen the cutest little Valentine bubbles at Target this year?? I loved them and grabbed them up quick! They are perfect for class Valentines and are super cute. I whipped up this little printable just in case you found some Valentine's bubbles too... Tie it up with some bakers twine or some ribbon and you're all set!







Download HERE





Feb 11, 2013

Gold Leaf Zig-Zag Table

I made it through to round 6 on SYTYC! Week 6 projects are up and I'd love it if you'd go vote for your favorite {which I really hope is mine ;) } The poll is on the right hand side and it only take a couple seconds!

I was really excited for this weeks theme {Glitter/Shine/Metallic}. But, I ran out of time due to my chronic procrastination to do the project I've been planning for months so I switched my thoughts around to this little lonely coffee table that had been begging for a makeover. I started out with DIY chalk paint, which was fantastic. I did no sanding or priming and I'm pretty sure this was laminate. Plus it only took 2 coats to take this from black to cream. Then I drew out the pattern I wanted onto the table, and hand leafed the gold leafs onto the table which was a lot more work than I had anticipated. It's definitely not perfect but I think the  flaws add more character ;) I love it and hope you do too!




For my chalk paint recipe I used

-1 sample sized behr paint jars
-2 Tbs Plaster of Paris
-1-2 Tbs water

Feb 6, 2013

Harman Stoves

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Harman Stoves for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Pellet Stoves are Awesome

Now that it's getting chilly again here in AZ the thought of these Harman Pellet Stoves is very appealing. One of my very favorite things is to curl up by a fire reading a good book. Harman is an industry leader in home heaters, but they started out small & humble, which I love. Dane Harman built his first stove in 1979 to lower his families heating bill. His neighbors heard, and the orders came pouring in. I love that this company started out simple and has grown into what it is today.

Using pellet stoves costs significantly less than gas, propane & electric. Plus, the tax credit was extended and through December you can get 10% credit. Also, the bio-mass fuels are composed of renewable carbon neutral products so they are eco friendly! These pellet stoves are a popular heating alternative that people are choosing to save money and as a good eco-friendly choice and they look so good! I love the options they have to choose from, I feel like there is a style choice for everyone. This one is my favorite...

 Harman Pellet Stoves wants to give one of my readers a journal & pen set made from recycled materials! All you have to do to enter is comment stating what you like about Harman! Easy Peasy. Winner will be picked Feb. 13th :)

Follow Harman on Facebook, Twitter & Pinterest

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Feb 4, 2013

Table Legs to Wreath Holder

The challenge last week was upcycle. I've had these table legs in my garage for months now, just waiting to be made into something beautiful. I fell in love with these curvy legs and knew they had some potential...I decided they were destined to be wreath/banner/welcome sign holders ;) I had been wanting to make one for awhile since I have too many wreaths to count and 3 wreaths on the door doesn't work out so well. Plus our porch is less than inviting and have been trying to figure out how to spruce it up. I first filled all of the holes in the table legs, bought wood pieces for the top & bottomat Hobby Lobby (about 75 cents a piece) . Then, I wood glued the wood pieces to each leg and let them dry. I spray painted the entire thing, sanded and antiqued them. Finally, I attached the hooks. I couldn't decide which hook I liked best so I used one of each and figured I could change them out later. Which is your favorite? I love giving old unused items a new purpose and think these will be a fun new addition to our home!