Last minute teacher gift

After being so inspired by this project from Dawn at Testosterone Times Three from a few years back, I decided to put my own Christmas spin on it. A little Christmas paper, mints from the candy jar and a dollar store frame...and there it was. Dunn's 1st grade teachers gift.

FYI, I left the wrappers on and just cut the ends off and hot glued them to the paper incase she needs a mint or something :)

Merry Christmas!

xoxo

My next car will definately be...

I'm in the eye of the blizzard (Maryland)!! I'd been shoveling in white out conditions when I saw this...

That's a long pipe stem, uphill driveway he was coming out of. This may not seem like a lot of snow to some of you...but here, it's the biggest we've seen in December since 1932. Uh, huh...1932!!!

And then we had..

Of course I had to run inside to get my camera and shoot footage, cause that's how I am :) And that is why the next time I need a new car...I'm going to the post office!!

From snow-nami central! Over and out.

AHHHHH...I did it!!!

The Play kitchen is done!!! You may remember that a few weeks ago Jane from Out of the Crayon Box was offering a "build a play kitchen" build along. I was up for it!!

I am in total love. I want to make more!! This was such a fun and surprisingly easy project. I was sooo prepared for it to take forever and get me totally flustered, but it didn't.
I love the color! It's a lavender color. Very hard to photograph! Using the Rust-Oleum Painters Touch lilac. One can was all I needed to cover my little dresser.

Do you remember what this started as?

>

Remember...this is my garage project, since it's for my daughter for Christmas...hence the ugliness of the background behind the adorable kitchen...they really don't go together, do they?!

I love it!

Pot Rack attached to an extra cabinet door leftover from this project.

Now, I have a few questions to pose to you. My burners are to the far right because I thought about doing some type of grill strips on the left. Another set of burners just wouldn't fit. So I ask you...Do you think grill strips would look silly? Should I leave it the way it is?


This is how I attached the cabinet door to the little nightstand. Extra 1 x 2, some screws and of course gorilla glue!!

I'm also linking up to Shanty 2 Chic's Rustoleum party...check out all the great projects!

and linking up to Reinvented's Trash to Treasure

and Kimba's DIY Day

and Shabby Chic
Cottage's Transformation Thursday

Bah Humbug!

Okay I'm just gonna put this out there. I hate this song. To me, this is not a Christmas song. It isn't uplifting. It has nothing to do with the birth of Christ. I don't find myself learning to be more tolerant, mindful or thankful because of this song. I'm pretty much that way year round.

It's plain depressing. For those of us that have lost a mom, dad, brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew or friend..it's down right heartbreaking. Uh, hello..doesn't anyone realize that some people have a hard time with the holidays anyway?! Let's add a little misery and play this ten million times a day during the Christmas season. Let's poor some salt on old or God forbid, fresh wounds.

Let me tell you what I think this song is. It's a great dramatic song for a wonderful movie!! It's very touching and pulls at the heartstrings. If it doesn't break your heart...you are made of stone. I cry everytime I hear it...so I tend to change the radio station when it comes on so I don't get mascara in my eyes when I'm driving and have a horribly disfiguring accident.

Why oh Why is this considered a Christmas song? Seriously? This song and the one about pina coladas...I mean...what's up with that?

So I'm thinking that maybe the new contemporary version of a holiday song could be this...

At least this one mentions snow and it's about a baby being born. I think it relates a little more to Christmas and would still tug at our heartstrings. Huh? Huh?!!

So you think you can dance?!

Let's start the week off right, shall we?!

With a really fantastic, spitting my coffee out on the screen, tears running down my face, my kids think I'm hysterical because I can't even speak...cause I'm laughing so hard, kind of laugh!

I'm the Highest High Techie?!

What is wrong with you people? I am lame! I am lamer than lame! I'm old and lame. Computers were these huge machines that were housed in cold rooms to keep from catching fire when I was a kid. That and we made fire using flint...but I digress.

YOU, don't know the codes for the heart symbol...the copyright sign...the "dagger"...trademark...spade symbol...etc...???!!!

I'm scared, now! I am going to have nightmares that I live in a world of high techies and I'm the Highest High Techie in the land. This is not right, people!

At any rate...I'm happy...no make that overjoyed to be able to share how you make these little symbols.

When you are composing your blog post...go ahead and write it all in the regular compose area. Just use the word "heart" for where you'll want you're symbol to go. I also capitalize it...so when I look in that gobbledy gook html code I can find it a little easier. When you're ready to convert your word to symbols click onto the "edit html" tab, find your words, change them to the correct code, hit Preview to see if it worked and then sit back and admire you're new found knowledge. Watch the reflection of your head on the computer screen as it grows bigger. Knowledge is a wonderful thing.

So when you want to say I'm with stupid and have an arrow next to it. You would write "I'm with stupid and put in the code (& larr;) to show the arrow

The rest of the codes that I found are:

&; dagger; † dagger symbol
& spades; ♠ spade
& clubs; ♣ club
& hearts; ♥ heart
& copy; © copyright
& reg; ® registered
& trade; ™ trademark
& larr; ← left arrow
& uarr; ↑ up arrow
& rarr; → right arrow
& darr; ↓ down arrow

† ♠ ♣ ♥ © ® ™ ← ↑ → ↓

I hope this has made some sort of sense. Let me know if you have any questions. But, please don't ask...bc {short for because} I really don't know anything.

Updated: Amber has very wisely told us you don't even need to go into html. If you just type the code it will automatically convert into the symbol for you. Thanks Amber!!

trying out html

So I've decided to try out some new html that I've learned. Let's see...this should have a heart symbol ♥

OMG it worked!! ©...just did the copyright...woo hoo!! I'm feeling crazy here :)
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♠ ® © † ™

Hahahahahahahaha..I'm positively giddy. Please cry for me tonight, that this is what makes me happy. This and the fact that someone came up with menthol for a cough. It's way better than the habaneros I was going to have to eat to clear my sinuses.

xoxo

Building a kitchen

If you build it...she will come.

I am joining Jane from Out Of The Crayon Box and some of her followers to build a play kitchen just in time for Christmas, for my little darling Kell!! You can see some of Jane's beautiful and creative creations here and here.

I know!! She's amazing, isn't she?! I can only hope to come up with a decent copy. Luckily she is actually inviting you to copy her as well. Not only that, but she'll walk you thru it. Step by step. What could be more perfect?...besides flying her out to my house and having her actually do it?...nothing!!

I got my lovely little nightstand at Goodwill for 5 Dollah!! Did you hear me? 5 Dollah!! WooHoo!!

So it's not too late to get started. You can join us at flickr...or just watch me and be jealous when it's all said and done. And my response to your poor tortured soul {with no cute kitchen for your cutie patootie} will be "Ha, remember when I told you about it?" Cause I'm mean that way :)

Use me up!

If you're like me...you're Jack O Lanterns sit around after Halloween, until they start to have more wrinkles than the grandma from The Beverly Hillbillies.

Well not this year!! Dammit...Not this year. Growing up we always had fresh pumpkin bread and pies throughout the year. How? My dad would cook the pumpkins and then freeze the pulp to be used year round. I was never really interested in doing this, because I could always get a few quarts from him, when I wanted. But, I like the tradition that he started. I'm all about tradition.

So I asked him how he did it and it turns out that it's really pretty easy. The hardest part is that it takes some time. So plan for a few hours...but once you make pumpkin bread or pie with fresh {not canned} pumpkin you will never want to go back.

You will walk into grocery stores and laugh at the outrageous prices they charge for canned pumpkin pie. You will stroll your farmers market that has pumpkin butter and think, "Ha, I could do that." You will just shake your head while a sly smile spreads across your face as your neighbor compliments you on the most delicious pie she's ever had.

So, I'm going to share with you just how easy it is. Ready?!

Okay...first things first...Chop'er up!! Be careful. Pumpkin is thick and hard {hey, don't even go there, this isn't Top Chef} and doesn't slice easily, you will have to use some pressure. Please don't slice your finger off. I can't stand the sight of blood.

Put pieces onto a cookie sheet with a little water. Really only a little...it doesn't even need to cover the bottom. I'd say about 1 1/2 cups.

Cover with foil and bake for about 1 - 1 1/2 hours. You can pull out after an hour and poke it with a fork {just under the skin} to see if it's really soft. Once it's soft and I mean really soft, it's done. Pull out, uncover and let it cool.

Now comes the fun part. I tend to slice the pieces again, just so I can peel them a little easier. Just hold in your hand skin side down and using a paring knife slice as close to the skin as you can and put pumpkin into a large bowl or food processor. You just need to pulse this a few times...you'll see how quickly it breaks down.

Those of you without food processor's {like me}. I put the chunks into a bowl and use a hand blender. Then place into a colander and let it sit for at least 20 mins. {longer if you have the time} You need to let the water drain out.

Can you see the water collecting on the side? It will slowly make it's way out and into your sink.

Well, that's it. Put into jars, air tight plastic containers, whatever! I happen to use my plastic sandwich containers {also it perfectly holds 2 Cups of pumpkin, which most recipes will call for} of which I have many.

Then go ahead and make a pumpkin pie. I'll be back with a recipe. Just try and take a picture BEFORE your family eats it.

It really is easy. I may have made it sound a little more difficult than it actually is. I hope not :)

Mama loves me some fresh pumpkin pie :)

You'll notice that the color isn't that weird orangey {sp?} brown shade. Uh, that's cause you used real, not from the can pumpkin :)

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

When Twilight and Halloween decor meet up in a spooktacular giveaway!!

What do you need that you don't even know until you see it?

Answer: This glorious shimmery Edward pumpkin from my friend Jen at Harried Mom Of Four.

Edward all lit up.

Okay, she made this. Go and read all about it here. I can't even believe she's willing to part with it...so hurry over and enter for a chance to win this yourself...before she changes her mind!

Whoa...what happened...

Okay, I found out why my blog was unreadable for awhile there. Evidently my background had expired...fixed with a spooky Halloween one :)

BOO!

Please see below if you missed out on the great kitchen remodel :)

The cheap kitchen makeover

Welcome all DIY'ERS

Have you been wanting to paint your kitchen cabinets? I'd been dying to do it for a few years. Yes, I'm a procrastinator, too!! I finally got up the nerve and just went for it! I lurve them!! Here's a little more info!

I've painted my kitchen cabinets....FINALLY! Do you know what it's like to walk into your kitchen everyday and loathe your kitchen cabinets. Feel like you've walked back into the eighties and wonder Why? Why? Why did someone think this was a good look?! I was being overrun by Oak. It was everywhere. Every cabinet in my house is the same cabinet. Oh, yes, you heard me right. Every. Single. Cabinet. Let's see...that would include all 3 bathrooms, the mud room and of course the kitchen.

Would you like the ugly tour?

Here you go...

Blech!

Gross!

Uh, forgot to take the picture until half the cabinet fronts were off. Don't judge :)



Dear Lord, please don't make me look at these cabinets another day.

Lovely shot of the drill case in the forefront. Tune in another day for photography tips.





I don't know why people are against child labor. I mean, hey it's cheap! And they are begging to do it!!

What technique!! Tune in another day for painting tips!


Here's the glazing technique. Brushed it on (door on right), waited for about 5 mins. and then wiped it off with a damp cloth (door on left). This spread it around in a really nice thin layer and then I could rub harder where I needed more white to show through.

Here's a close up of the texture I put into the paint. I added some dry joint compound mix that I've had hanging around and that made the paint really thick. I brushed it on very haphazardly and let it semi dry. Then went over it lightly with the bristles of my paintbrush. So essentially I was wrecking the paint. You know when you wanted a smooth finish, but then you try to paint over it again and it hasn't quite dried so it looks all bumpy.

I did this so the glaze would look old and worn. It really worked out well!!

The rest was just a matter of getting out the sander before glazing and going along the edges of the cabinets and the corners in a very random way.


Soooo...here's the reveal:

I'll just say that I'm thrilled with how it turned out!

I chose a distressed look for the obvious reason that it's kid friendly. When the cabinets get kiddie fingerprints on them...it won't be so noticible. And because no matter how much I would've sanded and prepped those cabinets, that paint would've come off somewhere. You. Just. Know. It. Would.

Finally, I received the best compliment I could have. Finn came in after I'd rehung a few of the doors and said "Ewww...they look so old and dirty." Bingo!! My job here is done!

To see lots more transformations and ideas, head over to The Shabby Chic Cottage's Transformation Thursday and over to Kimba's Diy Day

Up and coming

Well, I've been a little preoccupied lately. Mostly about Maggie. Thank you to everyone and your kind words. Off tomorrow to do funeral...ugh. It's about a 2 1/2 hr. drive...this will be one long emotional day for the whole family.

But on to brighter things...

I have a big reveal to bring you on Monday. Oh, yeah baby. It's the other thing I've been preoccupied with. Let's just say it was a huge undertaking. HUGE!!! Bigger than I realized.

Looking forward to seeing what you all think :)

Have a great weekend everyone!!

xoxo

A New Angel

Thank you to all of you that have been praying for Maggie and her family. Sadly, she passed away early this morning at 7am with her mom who had stepped away to put on her bathrobe, her dad in the bathroom, her grammy getting ready to come upstairs and her biggest brother on the bus riding to school.

I think she chose that time of peace and quiet. I think she wanted to spare her family the memory of watching her very last breath. I've been thru that and it can be extremely difficult and hearwrenching.

If you can, please continue to pray for the ones she left behind who will be suffering so greatly.

Goodbye dear, sweet Maggie. Your life was too short, but you lived it to the fullest. Godspeed!