Today’s recipe is the epitome of simple. You literally can’t get anymore simple than this. If you can, let me know! It’s light, perfect for showing off fresh summer fruit and one of our favorite dessert staples around our house. Oh, and for those WW lovers out there, this dessert is 5 points per serving when you use Light Cool Whip! Holla!

There are so many possible variations of this concoction, but this is what we fancy…

• Sugar Cookie Dough
• Cool Whip
• Cinnamon
• Kiwi (diced)
• Strawberries (diced)
• Mini Chocolate Chips

Start off by baking the cookies as it says on the package but make the balls of dough a little larger than you ordinarily would – about two cookies worth. Like all of my food, I like mine a little more on the burnt done side and Greg likes his more chewy.

While the cookies are baking, cut up the strawberries and kiwi and set aside. By the way, aren’t those strawberries gorgeous?! It’s strawberry season here in Virginia!

Mix a dash or two of cinnamon in your Cool Whip. This will add an interesting extra layer of flavor to the mix without adding calories. It also makes the dessert taste more complex than it really is — which is a plus if you’re trying to impress your in-laws!

Time for assembly! Top the cookie with some of the cinnamon Cool Whip mixture followed by strawberries, kiwi, and mini chocolate chips.

When we have friends/family over, I like to put the toppings in little bowls and make a little topping bar of sorts. That way people can make whatever combination they prefer. Speaking of combinations, try substituting the Cool Whip for a cream cheese and powdered sugar mixture, mascarpone or even Nutella. Yum!

Hey, I didn’t say it was organized. It’s probably the messiest tool drawer in all the land. Even though we like things to be neat and organized (a place for everything and everything in it’s place!), it clearly wasn’t quite happening here. Last night, I decided to do something about it! With a little help from my label maker, four plastic bins and five minutes of organization, here’s what the tool drawer looks like now…

Now that’s more like it! First off, I moved all of the tools down one drawer because the bottom drawers are a bit deeper than the top drawer. After taking out everything that didn’t belong (like the gum and flashlights) I divided everything in the drawer in four categories: hardware (nails, screws, anchors, hooks, etc), adhesives (caulk, wood glue, liquid nails, etc), tools (pliers, screwdrivers, hammers, a box cutter, etc), and future DIY projects (things we’re saving for a particular project, like casters and that deer hook I’m anxious to use somewhere).

I love how the baskets keep everything in place so things don’t fly around the drawer when it’s opened and closed. In the front of the the baskets are odds and ends like a container of spackle (for quick hole-filling jobs), painter’s tape, duct tape, a measuring tape and sanding block.

In the right corner is a small wooden bowl that I bought (and three more like it) at the thrift store for $1. This is where we keep random odds and ends that we find around the house and have no idea what they go to. I call it the “Doodad Bowl”. Fancy, right? It’s really nice to have around because, if we ever realize a piece of something is missing, we’ll just go to the bowl and see if it’s there. As of right now, there are only two little doodads in the bowl.

So that’s the current state of our indoor tool storage. I’m sure that as our tool collection grows, the storage will be reconfigured here and there, but this is a good start – and not to mention better for my semi-OCD self!

Where do you keep your “everyday tools”? Any particular tools you can’t live without? Share your tool tails with us…

One of the writers for AT emailed us a few weeks back asking if we’d like our kitchen to be featured on Apartment Therapy. Seeing as how we’re huge AT fans and they’re pretty much the holy grail of before and afters, we were like, “Umm, YES!”. The only catch, they needed photos within the week. Needless to say, we scurried around here for the next few days putting on the finishing touches we could to get the kitchen looking a little more “done” rather than “almost done”. We managed to build the floating shelves near the window, “re-style” the peninsula, make the “EAT” letters above the stove, and spray paint and install the light fixture above the sink. When it was time to send over the photos, Greg was literally screwing the light fixture in place while I was eagerly standing by with the camera. Luckily, we got the photos in their mailbox just in the nick of time. Whew!

So, we have Apartment Therapy to thank for lighting a fire under us to get things rolling. Like we said yesterday, all there is left to do if find barstools and a window treatment. Then, we can finally call this turkey DONE! But we all know any room in your house is never technically “done”, right? ha!

If you haven’t seen the feature, check it out here!

Yes, as the above photo proves, we finally got around to installing the floating shelves in the kitchen! Like the rest of the kitchen, you could call this project “Semi-DIY”. Basically, we took an existing product and made it into what we needed. Here’s what we did…

Each shelf needed to be 8 inches wide and 10 7/8 inches deep. First, we picked up two 24″ white Allen + Roth floating shelves from Lowe’s (these) with the intention of cutting them down to size. If you’re a visual thinker like Ash, maybe a picture will make more sense. (Thanks for the illustration, sweetheart!)

Once we made double-sure we had the right material, we headed over to the lumber department and asked them to cut the shelves for us.

Sure, we could have easily done it ourselves, but with their big, precise cutting machine, this was a lot faster. There was less chance of the process completely destroying the shelves or causing the paint to chip, too. And hey, it was free!

When we got home, we ran into one little snag. We totally forgot there is a small piece of molding in the corner between the subway tile and the cabinet. Rather than cutting a notch in the corner of each shelf (which could have been messy due to the thin material they’re made of), we cut a piece out of the molding. Using the scrap piece of shelving as a template, we marked where the molding needed to be cut. We then put a piece of painters’ tape on the cabinet for a little protection. We scored the edges of the molding, and with a little chisel action, the pieces came out perfectly.

The shelves came with a long bracket to “invisibly” mount them on the wall, so we cut the bracket to the depth of the shelf using a hack saw.

Now it was time to put the shelf on the bracket, but with only the bracket holding the shelf on, there was nothing holding the back of the shelf to wall, which caused it to wobble a bit.

To solve that problem, we took two pieces of scrap wood and glued them to each other then we wrapped the pieces with duct tape to act as a vice and let them sit to dry. There are screw holes in them because we were initially going to screw the pieces on the wall, then slide the shelf on. But the bracket was in the way, so that obviously didn’t work out. No worries, that’s where Liquid Nails come in!

We slid the pieces into the hollow part of the shelves, put a few dabs of Liquid Nails on the now not hollow part of the shelf and put them into place. After making sure the shelves were level, we caulked around the edges to make them look nice and finished. To make sure the shelves were totally secure, we let them set for 48 before putting anything on them. By Saturday morning, they were ready for styling…

On the top shelf is a mercury glass bird Ashley picked up at HomeGoods (for just $5.99). On the second shelf is a can of Bentley’s dog treats. (He gets a treat every time he comes in from “going outside”.) The can is from Harry Barker, but we refill it with Bentley’s prescription dog treats from the vet. (He’s allergic to pretty much everything.) On the bottom shelf is a conveniently placed glass jar filled with some rolled up dishtowels. The glass jar (without the lid) is from Crate & Barrel, and the dishtowels are from Anthropologie. I wouldn’t have known all of this if Ashley didn’t tell me… I leave most of the shopping to her.

The shelves are super sturdy and look as though they came with the cabinets. They didn’t even need a coat of paint, like we originally thought, because the cabinets and the shelves match perfectly – much to our surprise. This entire projects only cost about $35 and some change. Not bad for “custom cabinetry”.

Once the shelves were hung, we felt it was due time to hang the light fixture (from West Elm) above the sink! We ordered the silver light kit and spray-painted it our go-to finish of choice, Oil Rubbed Bronze. We really like the modern meets industrial look, and painting the hardware a darker color really helps it stand out against the white subway tile and cabinetry.

Here’s another shot of the new shelves and light fixture…

And a wide shot…

The sun was glaring through the window, but since we’re on a roll, how about one ultra wide shot…

Check out this before-and-after comparison. I feel super-accomplished every time I look at this picture…

The last two things on the grand ‘ole kitchen To Do List are finding a window treatment (the typical white blinds just aren’t cutting it for us) and bar stools for the peninsula. It’s so awesome to think the kitchen can be deemed “officially done” with just a shopping trip or two, hopefully! 

1. The Color Pallet – We’re going with light, barely there gray walls (like Martha Stewart Nimbus Cloud – MSL262) for the “canvas” for this room. We’ll also be working with one of my favorite quirky color combos: teal and coral. I love these two colors together! It’s fun and eclectic with a touch of feminine flair. It also has a slight hint of the 50′s era, doesn’t it? In my book, when you’re working with bright and vibrant colors (like teal and coral), and you don’t want the room to look like a nursery, it’s important to ground them with a few darker neutrals. In this case, we’re going with a dark brown / espresso.

2. Deer Head – I think this glossy white resin deer head is a prime example of “modern rustic”. On top of that, it’s the perfect package of fun, unexpected, and quirky. I’m totally determined to find a place for this guy somewhere in our house!

3. Eclipse Curtains (in Chocolate) – Since there’s a lot of color in the rest of the room, I’m thinking the walls, floors and curtains need to be in the dark neutral family. These chocolate panel curtains will bring in the needed darkness while offering some contrast to the light walls.

4. Breck Chandelier – I love, love, love this chandelier! I’m hoping to put it in our dining area one day, but the living room needs to be remotely finished before that can happen. It’s minimalistic and modern, but it somehow gives off little bit of a glam feel as well. I think its sleekness contrasts really well against the rustic finish of the bed and brings the whole room together. Look for Less: Try painting thrift store chandelier with metallic silver spray paint (or glossy white!), then switch out the light bulbs for clear round bulbs.

5. Drake Luxe Bed – Isn’t this bed gorgeous?! It’s so simple, but still makes a big statement. Look for Less: There are so many things about this bed that make it unique and awesome (like the distressed finish, the high headboard and low footboard, and the wood details). But you could always try to recreate the look with some elbow grease, paint (Martha Stewart’s Lagoon or Sunken Pool are a close match), and some distressing action. If you’re looking for a bed with the same lines, minus the finish, here’s something similar.

6. Natural Tree Stump Side Table – Made from solid cypress wood, one of these side tables on either side of the bed (or maybe one next to the chair) would be the perfect way to bring the outdoors in. Look for Less: Craigslist! Search Craigslist for “wood stump” or “firewood” and you’ll find the size you’re looking for – or someone who can cut it for you. To get a similar light finish like in the mood board, just cut off the bark and sand it down to a smooth finish. Then add several coats of polyurethane.

7. Dark Hardwood Floors – I felt like the board needed a little something more, so I added dark hardwood floors (image found here). They would look awesome with the wall color, not to mention #10.

8. Orimono Pillow – I adore this pillow! I bought one from Anthropologie a few months ago, but have yet to find the perfect place for it in the house – though I imagine it going really well in this rustic + quirky setting. The patches that make up the flower are really casual (almost country-ish) and have a lot of interesting patterns and colors.

9. Osman Chair – Every bedroom needs a comfy chair in the corner. I love this particular chair for this room because it has sleek lines and a comfy, tufted back. It’s covered with a super soft, poppy-hued leather that’s to die for. Look for Less: The key here is to go with a fabric-covered chair rather than leather. Find a chair with clean lines and a tufted back (like this one, this one or this one) and have it reupholstered in a durable coral fabric. To get the look for even less, get your DIY on and reupholster it yourself!

10. Insignia Wool Rug – Simply put, this rug is insanely awesome. It’s a mix between chevron and ikat. So, what’s not to love?! The marriage of the two styles is perfect for this rustic-meets-modern room. Oh, and FYI, this rug was designed by one of my all-time favorite HGTV gals, Genevieve Gorder.

So, what do you think? Love it or hate it? Any favorite color combos these days?