Anyone Can Decorate

The Mistake I Made in Choosing Granite

2013-06-12T20:35:00.001-07:00

If I had the chance to do it over again, I would change my decision and not get granite on our kitchen counters.

When we bought our house, the builder offered white ceramic tile as their standard for the kitchen counter. I knew I didn't want ceramic tile with a bunch of grout to clean... so we opted to upgrade our kitchen counters to granite. Via our builder this was not a cheap option, but granite was the popular decision so we went with it. When it came time to select the type of granite we went with a somewhat busy speckled grainy pattern, a mix of neutral and darker colors. The granite we chose is called Santa Cecelia (pictured). It looked so beautiful... and once it was installed my husband and I both absolutely loved the look. If we lived in a model home where we didn't actually use the kitchen, it would have been an amazing choice. However, being that we actually do cook in our kitchen, I admit that I am not loving the granite. Not at all!!! If I could do it over again, I would definitely not select any kind of speckled counter top surface.

When you look at this picture, can you tell if the counter is clean or dirty? Neither can I...

I do like having a solid surface counter. However, what I don't like (in fact, I can't stand) is that you can't see crumbs and small spills that happen all over the surface. They completely blend right in. The granite does a great job of hiding food, bread crumbs, spills, splashed spaghetti sauce and such. If you don't wipe up something the second it happens you won't even see it. Next thing you know there is junk stuck to the counters and it is hard to clean once food is hardened onto it. I know that sounds disgusting, but it's the truth.

I admit that I don't mind floors hiding dust and crumbs, but the one place that I do want to see and know if it's dirty is the counters where we prepare our food. I want to see every splatter and spill, and know they are there so I can wipe them up right away. Unfortunately in our house, all too often, when someone makes something in the kitchen, they don't clean up their mess right away and then since it is hard to see, they forget about it. The number of times I go to prepare dinner and find stuff stuck to the counter tops drives me crazy.

Once upon a time, I had a white laminate counter top in the kitchen of an old home. Yes, it was cheap and boring looking, but it was the easiest thing to clean!

If we had a solid color or a light color counter we would know immediately if something was on it that needed wiping up.

Choosing the darker speckled granite was a big mistake!

If you are considering new counters in your kitchen you may want to consider what I am saying... Like I said, if I had the chance to do it over again, I would NOT buy granite. Expecially not for the kitchen!

I would probably go with a light color quartz or even something like a Corian surface. These may not be the most popular option, but knowing now what I've learned, that would be my choice.

I wish I would have done more research on the subject or someone would have told me to consider this before we had picked them out. By sharing this information here, I am hopeful that it will help someone who is trying to decide what to use for their kitchen counter surface.

Blessings,
Diana

Subway Tile Backsplash (The Debacle Continues)

2013-06-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you that are wondering how our kitchen DIY tile backsplash is going and awaiting the big reveal, here is an update on our progress. After the never ending tile saw debacle (Read Post Here) we finally have officially gotten all of the tile cut and up on the wall. Hallelujah!

We had so many struggles along the way... I thought I'd share the story of the ongoing craziness:

We had originally planned to do our entire tile backsplash over a two day weekend. Wow, we had seriously underestimated the time it would take to do this DIY project!!! It always looks so easy on HGTV and the DIY Network (lol). A few weeks ago we spent the first two days just getting a tile saw that actually worked (Read Post Here). And then we got is just a couple of hours of actual tiling done. Since my hubby doesn't have time mid week for home projects and the following weekend we had to be out of town, our kitchen sat just awaiting us to find time to work on it again.

Side note: When I say "we" worked on it, it mostly means my husband worked on it :) Although I do make some of the tile cuts, I am mostly the supervisor on this job (hehe)...

We decided we would spend two days over Memorial weekend (Sunday and Monday) finishing the job. Unbelievably we had more tile saw problems. Sunday morning, when Jim was setting up the tile saw, the tube that feeds the water into the top of the wet saw broke. Yes, it broke. Ugh! We had purchased the two year warranty. If anything goes wrong you take it back to the store for a replacement. So we packed up the saw and headed to the store where we had purchased it. Going to this particular store is a 50 mile round trip. Needless to say, what a waste of our morning!

When we got home we assembled the new saw, added water and pluged it in. It was working... really it was... temporarily. After using the saw for a handful of cuts, the water pump started struggling. Oh my gosh, are you kidding me?!!! Seriously this couldn't be happening. The pump intermittently would work and then stop working, then work and stop again. We continued to tile for a few hours, shaking and rattling the pump to get it to work each time we needed to make a cut. I'm thinking there was an electrical short of some sort in the pump/wire. Being that the pump was submerged in water this didn't seem like the best situation. Luckily we didn't get shocked!

Our kitchen backsplash area has 9 electrical outlets, a light switch, a CAT5 outlet and a switch for the garbage disposal... That is a ton of things to cut around!!! After a few hours of working we still had a bunch more cuts and we realized that we would need to take the wet saw back to the store again for another replacement. It was already dinner time so we decided we would go to the store again in the morning.

Monday morning, Memorial Day. We should have been swimming and barbecuing with friends and family, but instead we were still dealing with ongoing tile saw problems and just wanting to get this stupid job done! Another 50 mile round trip to the store for another new saw.

When we got to the store they told us they didn't have any in stock and we would have to wait until Wednesday when more were scheduled to come in. No way! We had set aside this day to tile and one way or another we were going to. Luckily I walked around the store and I actually found one. It was the only one and it was located in an oddball spot so thank God that I noticed it!

Again we came home, assembled the saw and it worked. This one actually continued to work all day. More than four hours of tiling and we still had two corners and three receptacles to cut around. Knowing this process would take at least a few more hours we decided to stop for the night. Bending over a tile saw and over a kitchen counter all day while working is not very nice to the body. You find that you have muscles that you didn't even know existed.

We knew our kitchen was big, but this project seems to be taking forever. This past weekend we finally finished getting all of the tile up. Every little painstaking piece. We should be able to grout this coming weekend. I think grouting will be easy. It will at least be easy for me since again I will be the supervisor :) Since it doesn't require fancy electrical tools hopefully we won't have any issues!

The issues we had on this job were pretty much all tile saw related. If we had gotten a good tile saw to begin with, this job would have gone so so much faster!

I'm hoping that this whole project is sort of like giving birth, super painful while you are going through it, but after it's over you forget the pain. I seriously hope so!!!

Until next time,
Happy decorating!

Diana

Organic Gardening Tip - Simple Weed Control

2013-05-31T16:26:00.000-07:00

We just finished planting our veggie garden for this year. We try to be as organic as possible in growing our own fruits and vegetables. Our town has a small nursery that has been here for over 50 years and they always give me great advice!

I was talking to them about organic gardening and how last year I had a problem with weeds. Their expert advice was this, "DO NOT buy expensive organic weed control products, but rather shred a regular old newspaper (luckily we have a paper shredder)! Spread a few inches of the shredded paper over the top of the soil, turn it into the soil and water it well. Then just plant the veggies as normal. He said that something in the newspaper and it's print doesn't allow weeds to germinate/grow. He said if we did this at the beginning of each season, we would have very few weeds the entire year.

After turning a few inches of shredded paper into the soil, we planted tomatoes, cucumbers, green bunching onions (chives), cilantro, basil, zucchini, strawberries, watermelon, cantaloupe and kale.

We watered everything well and now I can't wait to have fresh home grown fruits and veggies!

The strawberries on the lower level we had already planted prior to the newspaper trick... so now I'll be comparing the amount of weeds in the bottom, around the strawberries) to the top. I am hopeful that the newpaper trick will control the weeds. Assuming it will, I will be sure to put the shredded paper into all of our garden areas next time :)

In a few weeks I will update you on how our fruit and veggie garden is doing/producing and how our weed control is going.

Happy decorating and happy gardening!

Blessings,
Diana

$10 DIY Organizer & Bulletin Board

2013-05-24T17:11:00.002-07:00

I made this multi purpose organizer board for just $10. The solid wood shutter I found at a thrift store for only five dollars. It was still raw wood. When I first found it I wasn't sure what I would do with it, but for five bucks, I just had to get it! A little paint (that I already had) and $5 worth of hooks (from Target Stores) and now it works as a garage entry board to hang our keys, hats, purses, backpacks, and whatever else we want to pop on a hook. That door at the end of the hall is to our garage. This is where we enter and exit the house, since our cars are parked inside... so the board is in a perfect location!

Since I found this shutter piece in raw wood, I started by painting it a creamy off white (heirloom white).

Next I used a dry brush technique to add a multitude of blue and aqua craft paints.

I lightly sanded the edges of the shutter and then used a touch of dark wax on the edges and in the crevices to give it some vintage aged character.

I love the finished look of the distressed paint!!! This next picture shows you a close up of the finish.

I added four hooks across the bottom. I measured and marked where they needed to go before attaching them.

My husband hung my masterpiece onto the wall for me (he's such a sweetie). He secured it into a stud... and then I used Command Picture Hanging Strips on the back at the bottom to keep it from shifting on the wall. Since they are velcro they worked great!

The shutter slots are awesome because they have many uses. They easily hold outgoing mail, menus or flyers to my favorite stores.

I added a few clothes pins and now the board doubles as a bulletin board too. It's a great place to put fun pictures and notes.

I am loving my new piece and I love even more that I made it for only $10.

Until next time,
Happy decorating,

Diana

Pottery Barn Love and SO Much Inspiration

2013-05-20T19:58:00.000-07:00

Need a Pottery Barn fix??? I did... so I got one yesterday :)

Pottery Barn is about an hour away so I don't get to visit their store very often. But when I do I always get so inspired. They have great accessories, beautiful furnishings and much of it looks vintage, even though it's new. I thought I'd share my visit to their store with you. Here are some pictures of things that inspired me.

Let me first start off by saying, I have the most amazing husband ever!!! In this next picture, that is him, my hubby Jim sitting on the couch. He is so patient. He allows me to spend as much time as I want browsing and he never ever complains. Women in stores constantly tell me how lucky I am... and I completely agree!

Aqua is my absolute favorite color! So seeing so much of it around the store definitely got my decorating juices flowing. I was thinking... I want that, I want that and I want that. I know that makes me sound like a brat. But, seriously anything aqua or sea glass inspired makes me feel super calm, peaceful and relaxed and I can't help but want it!

I enjoy seeing all of the red, white and blue patriotic decor. Independence Day isn't too far away and they have so many items that I'd love to own. I hope to do my porch up cute for the 4th of July! I don't have the budget to just buy what I like, so I will definitely have to come up with some budget friendly DIY's!

If only a creamy white sofa would stay clean. I would own one in a heartbeat if I thought our family could handle it. Since it would likely be dirty in a week, I stick with darker furniture. I admit that I'm basically a chicken!

I noticed that much of the patriotic decor was also nautically inspired. If only we could all have a beach house :) I can dream, right?

I didn't look to see how much these flag pillows are. I assume they are pillow slip covers since that is what Pottery Barn usually sells. I think I might need to go back and get a couple... because I am absolutely Loving them. So fun!!!

Are you feeling inspired yet???

Until next time,
Happy decorating!

Diana

Murphy's Law and Our First DIY Tile Job

2013-05-13T16:57:00.000-07:00

Last month we decided it was finally time to put up a real back-splash in our kitchen. When we moved into our new house the back splash was just a painted wall. Then last year I had painted it with chalkboard paint which was pretty fun for awhile, but grease splatters from cooking and chalkboard paint don't exactly go together very well! So, it was time to figure out what to put up as a real back-splash. We spent a few weekends looking at every type of stone, tile, marble, etc... and in the end we chose a simple antique white ceramic subway tile. It's classic, it's neutral and goes with everything. Plus it wasn't too expensive which I liked!

We had watched a DIY video on how to lay a tile backsplash and were comfortable with it. So I planned to have all of the needed materials in advance of the weekend... hoping we could complete the entire job in one weekend. I had plenty of tile, thin set (the gunk that holds the tile to the wall), a tile trowel, a rubber float, a 5 gallon bucket, a mixing paddle, tape, plastic to protect the counters... etc.... We were fully prepared.

We had bought this handy dandy tile cutter that we had seen at a swap meet last year that was supposed to be awesome! The guy at the swap meet was like an infomercial showing us how easy it was to use the contraption. And he made it look super easy! With that little contraption cutting tile was going to be a breeze. (INSERT Murphy's Law HERE)... Anything that can go wrong will... And if it looks to good to be true, it probably IS!!!

Saturday morning all excited and ready to tile we decided we better cut a tile to see how it looks. UHG! What the heck.... it looked horrible. We followed the directions, did it just like the guy showed us. Needless to say, the thing was a piece of CRAP (excuse my language) but i can't think of a better word!

We would not be defeated, this was just a temporary set-back. I looked online at both Lowe's and the Home Depot to see what kind of tile cutters they sold in store. We didn't want to spend a few hundred dollars on a fancy wet saw, we simply wanted something that would cut a straight line clean. Okay, so Home Depot had a non electric sort of like vice that held the tile where you would score the tile and then snap it. It was about $30 and the box directions made it look easy enough so we bought it. We took the saw home and cut one tile.... AHHH, no. The tile was ugly, chipped and looked horrible.

Time for a break... we got some lunch and now our morning job wouldn't start until afternoon.

After lunch it was back to the store. Now it was time to get serious. We needed to buy something electric, something that would actually cut the tile, not just score it. So we returned the "mistake" purchase and wanted to buy something a bit more industrial... Yay, power tools! Nothing at the first store in our budget.

So off to another store where I found a small (personal size for small projects) electric wet saw. It was slightly larger than my laptop and a bit thicker. It held a little water and it said it would cut tiles up to 12". It was under $100 and came with the cutting blade. Finally this should do it. Since we were only using small subway tile, this would work... or at least it should work. Right???

We live in a somewhat rural area so going to the home improvement store is a 16 mile round trip... and having to go to the competitors store is about a 40 mile round trip in the opposite direction. So by the time we found the saw, our day was pretty much shot. We decided to hang it up for the day. The next day (Sunday) we would start again in the morning. Okay, so our tile job might take two weekends, but we could deal with that! Since my hubby works all week, weekends are the only time for this kind of job.

I'd like to say that this is where the story ends and that we lived happily ever after.... But, unfortunately I can't. Because Saturday night something was bugging me about the little wet saw we had just purchased. It just didn't "feel right". I guess you could call it intuition, but I just knew this was not the way to go. I decided I better look online for reviews on the little saw. And guess what??? Yep, the reviews were horrendous! Although the saw might cut a few tiles, it will rust as soon as you use it. Imagine that, a wet saw that rusts. Not only will the cutting blade rust immediately, but also the saw tables metal surface rusts on day one of use. So for $100 you have purchased a throw away tool.

Our kitchen back-splash has 8 electrical outlets and one phone jack in the backsplash area. All of which need to have the tile cut around them. At this point I had no idea how many days of cutting work this would take, but I knew I was not going to keep a saw that would rust.

Okay, so maybe we could rent a tile saw for a day, but at this rate and most likely we would need it for several days and that gets pretty expensive. So buying one was still our desire.

On Sunday morning we decided to bite the bullet and go buy a proper wet saw. The place we decided to buy it was a 50 mile round trip. We purchased the wet saw, the cutting blade and a two year warranty (just in case). This thing is going to last us one way or another!!!

With breakfast in route combined with our time at the store and then returning home, it was after noon by the time we got home. Yay, we got a real tile saw... like the pros use. Some assembly required. That's okay, we can do this. I joked that it would be 4:00 before we could cut tile (I was joking, I swear!).

But, here comes Murphy again!!! Tile saw set up, turn it on, loud POP... NO... Seriously, what just happened??? We open up where the blade is attached and the piece that holds the blade in place was broke in half. I thought my husband was joking... then he showed me. It was broken!  Okay, I finally lost it and started crying!!! After all, a girl can only take so much...

My husband was still cool as a cucumber. He noticed that the hole size in the center of the blade was too large for the mount that it sat on. This is what caused the break to happen. He suggested we go back to the place we bought the saw (another 50 mile round trip) and take the broken piece and the blade that they sold us. Tell them what happened and ask them to open another saw and give us a new piece to replace the broken piece... and also give us the correct size saw blade.

I wanted to tile and I wanted it done in one weekend. And that was so not happening!!!

I finally stopped having a pitty party hopped into the car and off we went for what felt like the millionth time... to get a saw that worked. I know that's a bit of an exaggeration, but seriously this was getting ridiculous!!!

The good news is that the store fixed our problem, they gave us the piece we needed off of another saw, also gave us the proper blade and apologized. All was well... And it was going to work this time. It had to...

It was just before 4:00 p.m. on Sunday afternoon that we finally cut our first tile.

Here is a sneak peek at our tile... The first wall is done... and so far so good. We have only just begun! I pray that Murphy and his Law will stay away for the rest of this project... We only have weekends to work on it, so hopefully before long, I will be able to share our completed back splash with you :)

Until next time,
Happy decorating!

Diana

$5 Wall Art - Decorating with Letters

2013-05-06T17:01:00.000-07:00

I recently decorated the base of our stairwell with some thrift and flea market finds that I had painted and given new life. The wall at the right of the stairwell was begging for some sort of wall art. While shopping at Michaels Craft Store I found large letters made from a paper mache type cardboard on sale for $5 each. I decided to to get a large "W" for our last name, which is Walker. With some leftover Black Chalkboard Paint that I had on hand, I brushed on a quick coat and let it dry... There you have it. This was seriously the easiest ever DIY wall art!!!

Below is a picture of what it looked like before I painted it. I always say it's amazing what a little paint can do!

I waited about 15 minutes for the paint to dry and then I put Command Picture Hanging Strips on the back to make for easy hanging. Command Strips are awesome for hanging lightweight items and they don't damage the walls (which I love)!!!

I've always like the look of decorating with letters, but this is the first time I've actually done it. I like it so much that I think I'll do another somewhere else in our home :)

Until next time,
Happy decorating!

Diana

Master Bedroom Makeover - Beds Have Finally Arrived

2013-04-30T18:03:00.001-07:00

Although I started the master bedroom makeover a few months ago, it's taken me awhile to decide what I wanted to do for our headboards and bed-frames At first I thought I might make upholstered headboards, but decided against it when I came across these upholstered beauties. They are upholstered in a rich Chocolate linen like textured fabric... and have nailhead trim around the headboards.

These are made by Ashley Furniture and they retail for $599 a piece. I was able to get them for a steal at only $300 a piece. So basically I got two for the price of one (so happy). I love them and I love it even more since I got a great bargain on them!!!

Wondering why we have two queen beds in our master bedroom??? Well, my husband tends to twitch a bit when he sleeps and I am a very light sleeper. Having two beds, we can choose to share, or each have our own. It keeps me from having to kick him out of the bedroom at night :) Plus mine is a little softer and his is a bit firmer. That's the way we each like our bed. This way we both always get a good night sleep!

Having such a large bedroom allowed me to go for a boutique chic hotel vibe. I still want to get hotel style comforters and duvet covers and add a few more accents to the room. Also I'm thinking of making some pendant chandeliers to hang over the outer end tables. But for now, I'm quite happy with the way things are coming along.

Until next time,
Happy decorating!

Diana

Thrift Store Find Turned One of a Kind Design

2013-04-23T15:30:00.001-07:00

I am currently posting from my cell phone because I am having computer issues... I wanted to share this beauty I just finished with you. I found a retro/ghetto (lol) mid century modern piece at a thrift store for $25 and knew I could flip it into something fab... This chevron cutie is what I came up with. I'm sorry I don't have better pictures. But I will post some as soon as I get my computer issue solved!

The before and after pictures are pretty dramatic on this piece. The little three drawer before picture is seriously so ugly!!! It looks like it came from the Brady Bunch house ;). It is not a style that I would normally choose and I really don't like at all. However, I knew I could somehow make something cute out of it. Also, it was a sturdy well built piece that looked nearly new inside, so I thought I'd give it a shot. My husband started sanding the top when I realized that I didn't have a before shot of this chest of drawers... So this is the first picture I remembered to take.

Notice the bevelled edge around the front and the ugly curve on the drawers and then those funky pull handles. I knew I had to camouflage the front somehow because I really didn't like it!

I am more than happy with the finished results... What do you think?

Did You Know That it is National Painting Week?

2013-04-16T14:16:00.001-07:00

Yesterday started the mark of National Painting Week 2013. This year it runs from April 15th through April 21st. That still leaves plenty of time to get those spring painting projects started and into high gear!

For information on National Painting Week and for color inspiration and ideas you can visit www.nationalpaintingweek.com

I myself am painting a furniture project right now. It is a thrift store find that is a mid century modern piece... and I am giving it a chic makeover with a chevron pattern on the front... Here is a bit of a sneak peek - (note: the blue stuff is just tape)

The big reveal is coming soon... I will show you exactly what I did and how I did it to this piece. And also show you the ugly before and amazing after pictures :)

I hope your feel inspired to get a jump start on some fun painting projects around your home.

Many blessings,
and Happy decorating!

Diana

My Favorite Must Have Kitchen Appliance

2013-04-12T16:14:00.002-07:00

I used to drink orange juice from cartons. Well, not directly from the carton :) What I mean is I would buy mass produced commercially processed orange juice. Even when they called their juice "pure squeezed" it was nothing like a glass of truly fresh squeezed orange juice.

My absolute favorite must have kitchen appliance is my KitchenAid Stand Up Mixer. I use it almost every day. My husband bought me the Citrus Juicer Attachment a little over a year ago and now I am totally addicted to fresh squeezed orange juice! I love to drink a glass of it each morning with my breakfast.

It only takes about five minutes from start to finish to have enough juice for a full glass and have the juicer cleaned, and it is so worth every minute!!!

The juicer attachment was less than $25. I love that I don't have to have a separate appliance, instead it just attaches to my mixer and is so easy to use and easy to clean.

This time of year in California we have amazing tree ripened oranges. I can get an entire bag for only $2 and they make the best OJ.

Depending on the size of the oranges it takes either 3 or 4 oranges to get a glass of juice. I first wash the oranges and then cut them in half. Turn the mixer motor on low, which turns the juicer.. and then just push the orange half onto the front. The juice drips down through a separator that catches seeds and large pulp and then drips the juice into the glass or container. The separator is removable for easy emptying. When you do large batches of juice you do need to empty it on occasion.

All this juice from just three oranges... and it's so yummy!

After the juice is made, I immediately remove the juicer attachment and rinse it thoroughly with warm water so it is ready to use for next time. Note: If you let it sit and don't rinse it right away, it would be harder to clean. So basically, clean up is super simple as long as you do it right away!

After it's rinsed I just set it on a paper towel to dry.

Now I get to drink my amazing OJ. Yum!

Furniture Stripping Made Easy - Citristrip

2013-04-05T22:14:00.001-07:00

I remember when I used to strip furniture with strong chemical strippers that made it hard to breath. This week I tried Citri-Strip (a biodegradable earth friendly product that smells like oranges and is safe for indoor use. I was completely shocked at how well it worked!!!

I put a blob of the stripper in the middle of the table and spread an even layer over the entire top of the table.

After I had completely covered the top of the table, I let it sit for an hour and then returned.

After letting Citri-Strip sit for one hour, this is what I found (picture below). The paint and other finishes underneath were all bubbled up. It looked ready to strip so I gave it a go.

Using a flat scraper, the paint and under layers of varnish and stain came up like butter. It didn't even feel like work. It took just a few minutes to get all of the paint off the top of the table.

I was surprised to find fancy inlaid wood details on the table top. I guess you never know whats underneath until you look!

I only have a flat scraper so I've stripped the tops of both of the tables. I've ordered a Multi-Purpose Scraper Tool so I can easily get the paint out of all of the details in the legs. The tool should make it easy to strip the rest of the paint off of these beauties.

I'm not exactly sure how I will be finishing these end tables yet. I picked them up at my local flea market awhile back for only $20 for the pair. The paint job on them had drips everywhere and a nasty shiny clear coat over the paint. I had to strip them and give them a fresh start. After I'm done stripping them I will decide what to do with them next. I will share them as they progress :)

Until next time,
Happy decorating!

DIY Monogrammed Easter Eggs

2013-03-29T14:12:00.000-07:00

Last night I made these adorable monogrammed Easter eggs in about an hour. I will show you how you can make them too...

First you must start with hard boiled eggs that are dry and around room temperature.

I cut vinyl stickers on my Cricut Electronic Cutting Machine
in 1" and 2" heights. I did mostly letters plus a few fun shapes. If you don't have a cutter, you could also buy letter stickers at a craft store.

I put my stickers onto the hard boiled eggs. I made sure they were adhered well. The stickers are hard to see in the picture below, so I outlined the "D" so you could see one of them clearly.

I purchased a $2.00 Paas Easter Egg Coloring Kit and that is all I used to color them.

I put an egg into each color and waited just a couple of minutes for the color to take.

I used the egg carton to space the eggs out while they dried.

I waited about a half an our for the color to completely dry and then I removed the stickers.

I love the finished results... Simple and beautiful colored eggs with wonderful charm and character!

I wish you and yours a wonderful and blessed Easter!

Diana

Flea Market Fun Finds - Look What I Found

2013-03-25T15:07:00.000-07:00

We hadn't been to our local flea market in several weeks. I'm so glad that yesterday morning we decided to make a trip to see what we could find. I found two vintage beauties... and the amazing part is I spent only $35. It was only ten dollars for the old wood and gesso frame and $25 for the dresser. I believe they are both antiques. They both need a little TLC, but I got them for a steal!

The frame has beautiful ornate details. It is currently painted an ugly high gloss white and some of the antique gesso is chipped off. I will give this beauty a makeover by painting it Heirloom White (with a satin finish) and then give it an antique glaze to enhance all of the details.

I haven't decided exactly what I will do with the dresser yet. I have a few ideas, but I'm thinking I might try something new with this one. I usually go for a shabby cottage white (safe), but I'm thinking of maybe putting some color on this one. Possibly aqua :)

I love shopping at flea markets! You never know what you will find and there are so many great deals to be found :)

Until next time,
Happy decorating!

Diana

Decorating With Architectural Salvage Finds

2013-03-19T21:54:00.000-07:00

I love architectural salvage yards and stores!!! It always amazes me how much beauty is in so many of the old pieces I see there. Something like an old iron gate or vintage window can be used a beautiful piece of wall art. An old corbel or a iron clawfoot from a vintage tub can be used as a bookend or as a decorative piece on a shelf. As I look through all the great stuff the ideas are endless! Each item has a ton of character, age and tells a story. If you haven't been to an architectural salvage store yet, check the yellow pages or a local directory to find one in your neighborhood... Also, keep in mind that shopping salvaged items is considered "green" because you are repurposing (reusing) vintage items.

Flea markets are another great way to find vintage pieces and often great prices.. but at an Architectural Salvage store you get to see a large collection of beautiful and unique items all in one location.

My favorite architectural shop in Southern California is Architectural Salvage of San Diego. It is located in downtown San Diego. It is an easy visit since it is located just off of the 5 freeway near downtown. The above photo is from their store.

I like this nicely detailed old radiator cover. With this piece I can imagine putting a wood top on it and using it as an entry hall table. It would be so stunning! It could also be used in a dining room as a small serving table. If you were decorating a small space, you could use a glass table top. The glass wouldn't feel as heavy in the room since you would be able to see through the glass to all of the beautiful scroll details. Vintage and antique radiator covers are often found made of metal or iron usually with a nice patina or painted with aged chippy paint (great for the shabby cottage chic look). The aged look adds so much character. Just wire bush off any loose paint or debri and then I recommend sealing old items with a clear polyurathane.

Old barn doors.. I love them! Some would look at these and think they are junk... but they make great interior barn style sliding doors... and they add so much charm! Use your imagination and take risks in decorating. It can be so much fun...

Shopping Architectural Salvage can give you ideas for things you may never think of when shopping your local home decor or hardware store. Just be willing to open up your mind and think outside the box. There are many unique treasures to be found. Most vintage items can be mixed into any decorating style. Mixing old with new is in!

Until next time,

Happy decorating!

Diana

Simple, Guilt Free Oatmeal Muffin Recipe

2013-03-12T00:09:00.001-07:00

Oatmeal Muffins - Making it a healthy treat!!!

In my experience, healthy and gluten free treats are usually pretty boring and somewhat tasteless too!

These muffins are amazing, simple and a totally guilt free treat that you, your kids and everyone will love!!!

Recipe:

Healthy Oatmeal Muffins

Ingredients:

3-4 Ripe Bananas
1 cup Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk
2 Eggs
1 tbsp. Baking Powder
3 cups Oats
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 tsp. Cinnamon

(Optional) Fruits you can add to the mix:

1) Apples and Cinnamon
2) Banana and Pecans
3) Blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Smash the bananas in a medium sized mixing bowl with a fork, until the lumps are mostly gone.
Then add the rest of the ingredients and stir together with your fork. (Note: if desired, you can substitute the almond milk for your milk of choice).

At this point, this is your base. You could essentially add whatever fruit or mix in that you want (i.e. Fruit, Chocolate Chips, Peanut Butter, Raisins, etc.)

Today, I chose to keep it healthy and make three different muffins... Apple Cinnamon, Banana Nut and Blueberry.

After I mixed together the base, I split the mix into three different bowls. From this point, I added in the additional optional ingredients to make my favorite muffins. The amount of fruit or nuts you add at this point is at your discretion. It just depends on your preference.

Once you have everything mixed in, you are ready to put the mixture into your paper baking cups in your muffin tin.

Bake for 20 minutes in oven that has been preheated to 375F. Remove from oven and let the muffins cool for about 10 minutes.

Now it's time to enjoy your healthy sweet treat, so yummy and totally guilt free!!

Happy eating...

Diana

Flea Market Mirror Makeover (Before & After)

2013-03-05T16:56:00.001-08:00

I found two mirrors at our local flea market (swap meet) for a total price of $8 ($3 and $5). The frames are both made from some sort of poured plastic mold. Vintage frames made from a mixture of plastic and resin are a common find at flea markets, yard sales and thrift stores. You can find upcycled painted versions of these on eBay, Etsy and in vintage/antique stores for anywhere from $25 to $200. I definitely prefer the budget (cheap and before paint) versions and then painting them myself! Many of the vintage plastic frame mirrors I have come across were made by Syroco, Burwood and Homeco. Most of them from the 70's and 80's, but some do date back even further.

These two mirrors are each a good size. The larger one measures approximately 32" tall x 18" wide. In their gold finishes they look cheap and plastic! However, don't ever let plastic stop you from buying. Remember, a can of spray paint can transform just about anything! I've said it many times, I love what you can do with a few dollars and a little bit of paint. It took me awhile to decide what color I wanted to paint them... But I decided to go with a flat black. I've never done black on accessories before and I decided I wanted to do a black and white mirror and photo wall up our stairwell, so black it was. Below is a picture of the mirrors as found. The gold on both of these looks way better in the picture than it actually did in person. They both were really ugly!!!

Yesterday I removed the backs from the mirrors and separated the frames from them for easy painting. I gave them two coats of spray paint and allowed them to dry. After the spray paint was dry (overnight), I distressed a little on the edging and details with a sandpaper sponge block. Any sandpaper would work. I just happen to like working with the sponge type because they are easy to hold. You can get these sanding blocks at most home improvement stores for $3 or $4.

As the above photo says, this is just the start of my vintage mirror and black and white photo collage wall. I have a few more mirrors and vintage frames to paint and then I need to find a few photos that I want to display. This wall is large and it will be a work in progress for awhile, but I will share my progress with you. I wasn't able to get good close up pictures of the mirrors on the wall. However, as the project continues I will work on getting better close ups of them.

Until next time,
Happy decorating :)

Diana

Sharing at:
Domestically Speaking - Power of Paint Party

So Many Projects - So Little Time

2013-03-04T19:33:00.001-08:00

Today I set out to makeover a couple of vintage mirrors that I found at the flea market awhile back. I was all excited about getting a project started and finished today. I even shared a comment on my Facebook blog page that said I was working on a flea market makeover and planned on having it posted by tonight.

So why does it seem that other things always come up and get in the way, making it impossible to finish a project in a timely manner? Everything takes longer than I ever expect it to! I'm not complaining, it just seems like I have so many projects and yet so little time. It wasn't even that big of a project... It should have been easy to accomplish this little task. But, nope... It's not finished yet.

I was at home getting started on my project when just after 10:30 a.m. I heard the garage door opening. On any other day, I don't hear the garage open until 5:30 or 6:00 p.m. My poor hubby came home from work totally sick... with a fever, hacking up a lung (or two). Poor thing sounds horrible, he looks horrible and of course, he feels horrible. It's definitely upper respiratory. His breathing is a bit labored and the constant coughing just won't stop.

I finally helped him get settled. Gave him some Tylenol and another medication with cough suppressant and expectorant. And he actually managed to fall asleep for awhile. Okay, good.... Now back to my project.

I had taken apart my two vintage mirrors. The frames are both a plastic molded frame that had a back screwed on... so it was easy to remove the backing and the mirror, separating the frames from the mirrors for easy painting. This way is so much easier than taping off the mirrors. I then cleaned the frames removing all of the dirt and dust. I used a dry paint brush to remove dust from the crevices. Then just used a damp rag to wipe them down.

Out to my garage/shop area and into my homemade paint booth. If you haven't seen my paint booth, you can see it and read how we made it HERE. Yeah, I love to paint! Coat number one, then let it dry... an hour later a second coat of paint. Tip: doing two thinner coats of paint and allowing it to dry in between helps to prevent any drips from occurring.

This is where the project took a halt. I ended my hubby to the doctors around 2:30 and did not get home until almost 6:00. Needless to say, the project will not be complete until tomorrow. Even if I finished it tonight, I would not be able to get good pictures since it's too dark. Pictures in daylight are always better!

So tomorrow, God willing, I will get my finished mirrors put back together, hung on the wall and hopefully get good pictures of them to share with all of you. What color will they be? You'll just have to wait and see :)

Until then...
Happy decorating!

Diana

Can You Actually Make Money Blogging? - My Experience

2013-02-26T16:59:00.003-08:00

Can you actually make money blogging? This is a post I have thought of writing several times. I thought about being generic and giving a few tips or ideas on how to make a few dollars blogging... But I've struggled with this one question. Do I share the actual numbers with people, how much money I've made each month from my part time blog?

Is it appropriate to discuss actual dollars and cents with people? When I first started blogging I wanted to know the truth. I wanted someone to tell me their actual figures, what their success or lack of success had been. I saw posts that said things like "I make enough each month for a fancy cup of coffee"... or another that said "I make a pretty good living from my blog". But nothing that spoke of actual numbers.

Let me start of by saying this: Nobody is going to get rich quick blogging! And if blogging to get rich is your goal, you might want to rethink blogging all together. If you're going to blog it should be something you are passionate about. Your topic should be something that interests you and that you want to share with others. When you blog, even if you hope to make a little extra income, you need to understand that normally it takes anywhere from one to two years to even begin to make any money. Yes, that means you basically are blogging for FREE... so if you don't love it, you probably shouldn't do it.

I've decided to share my story and the actual $$$ amount I've made from my blog. It may encourage you or it may discourage you, but hopefully it will reach those who are thinking of blogging while trying to make a few dollars at the same time. I hope that nobody is offended by my discussing actual dollar amounts. I am not bragging (as you will see, it's not enough money to brag about) Lol... I just want to share the truth about my experience.

First I will tell you a little about me, I love decorating! I was a single mom for many years so decorating on a next to nothing budget was the only way I was able to decorate. I learned how to take inexpensive items (other peoples junk) and turn them into one of a kind treasures. I've always been crafty and so it's something I found that I love to do.

Early 2001, as a single mom, I went from being a full time working super mom (who pretty much handled everything and then some, without getting much sleep), to being sickly and constantly in pain. Long story short, late that year I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and CFS (chronic fatigue syndrome) and have not worked full time or held a regular job since. You can read more about my life and living with chronic pain if you are interested on my "About Me" page.

In 2003, I married my now husband Jim. He likes my "thrifty ways" so he encourages me and helps me with my many projects. We had a successful eBay store for three years (2006 - 2008), where we sold furniture appliques and made custom chandeliers and lamps. It was a good fit for me since I got to do it from home and on my own schedule (when I felt well enough). I shared several of my chandelier creations on a prior blog post (Chandeliers I've Made). At the end of the three years on eBay I decided I didn't want to do it anymore. What was once so creative and fun, became more about manufacturing items and I admit that I completely burnt out on it.

I haven't worked a job of any kind since eBay. Well, other than being a wife, mom, homemaker, maid, cook, chauffeur, home decorator, etc... I haven't worked a paying job. Although I wanted to start a blog for fun, I figured if I could make a few dollars at it, why not try!

I started this blog on September 6th of 2011. I created it through the Blogger platform, which I still use today. The one thing Blogger does that helped my blog in the early days was that they automatically list blog postings and pictures in Google search results. So most of my early hits were from the Google search engine. As for how I get additional traffic to my blog, I will leave that information for a future post. This post will focus on how I make money from my blog.

When I created my blog, I immediately put Google Adsense on the layout. It was something the Blogger platform made simple to add, so I signed up for it and I added it. This was probably not the smartest thing to do in the very beginning because I may have lost some potential followers because the advertising could have scared them away. But, it is the route that I chose to take.

As for my earnings... I have listed all of them below. In the beginning Adsense was my only revenue source. After a time, I added additional sources. After awhile I added additional income sources. Each you will see as you continue reading below.

Google Adsense earnings from September 2011 - (don't laugh) .47
(yes, 47 cents). Google doesn't actually pay you until you reach the $10 threshold, but that was okay. I wanted to blog as a way to share my love for decorating on a budget and make a few friends along the way. Any money I actually made from it was just icing. Okay, 47 cents wouldn't even buy icing, but you get the picture :)

October 2011 Google earnings $ 3.55
November 2011 Google earnings $40.00
December 2011 Google earnings $67.88

Wow... I was shocked at this point. I realized that the Christmas posts were drawing many many views. People started looking for Christmas Decorating ideas in early November and into mid December. I was thrilled to see I was making a few dollars so early in my blogging endeavor However, come January, it would likely be slow (and it was).

January 2012 Google earnings $ 27.64
February 2012 Google earnings $ 17.84
March 2012 Google earnings $ 25.65
April 2012 Google earnings $ 29.00
May 2012 Google earnings $ 27.23
June 2012 Google earnings $ 40.26
July 2012 Google earnings $ 63.76
August 2012 Google earnings $123.02
September 2012 Google earnings $ 98.87
October 2012 Google earnings $101.95
November 2012 Google earnings $201.03
December 2012 Google earnings $175.70

The holidays again were very busy on my blog. Because of them I actually received a 1099 from Google for 2012. I figured this was pretty good considering it was my first full year of blogging! It's easy to see that the pattern of slow months early in the year and then getting busy around the holidays would be a normal thing for my blog.

As January came I knew revenue would decrease again, but I didn't know how much.

January 2013 - Google earnings - $40.33

Now that it is the later part of February, and I can see that February will be higher than January this year. As my blog grows, so does the amount I make from each of my revenue streams. Above I only showed you only the Google Adsense revenue for each month. However, I also have two other sources of revenue on my blog. I use Amazon Associates. This is where I link to Amazon items and if people purchase those items, I get a percentage of each sale. I did not use this much in the beginning. I will give you a per quarter breakdown for last years earnings.

Q1 2012 - Amazon earnings $ 3.23
Q2 2012 - Amazon earnings $ 22.35
Q3 2012 - Amazon earnings $ 51.90
Q4 2012 - Amazon earnings $112.79

You can see that again Christmas (the holidays) are when people are spending the most, so this is when the earnings go up. I shop myself quite a bit on Amazon, so now I buy crafting items on Amazon and then share them with my readers.

I have a third revenue stream and that is BlogHer Publishing Network. I signed with the BlogHer Publishing Network at the end of August 2012. I will share with you the revenue from September through December, and then January. BlogHer works differently than Adsense in that with Adsense you get paid per click. With BlogHer you get paid for visits to each page. When I signed with BlogHer, I had no idea what to expect earnings wise. I figured $10 to $30 a month. I was pleasantly surprised after my first month! Since the blog is very busy around the holidays, it was a perfect time to start with this kind advertising.

September 2012 - BlogHer earnings $133.73
October 2012 - BlogHer earnings $101.85
November 2012 - BlogHer earnings $231.52
December 2012 - BlogHer earnings $196.22

This January (after the holidays) visits to my blog fell off drastically again. I've seen this happen now two years in a row. For January 2013 BlogHer earnings are only $27. February will be a bit higher (estimate about $50).

Keep in mind, I am only a part time blogger. I usually blog a couple of posts each week. Depending on my health and the speed which I finish my projects, determines how often I blog. I realize if I blogged more, I would likely make more. I'm not getting rich off of blogging, but the extra income does help. It mostly helps me support my many ongoing projects around our house. Thank you to my readers for helping me support my decorating habit :)

There are of course many ways to make money blogging. I have mentioned just the few that I have chosen to use. I try to keep my blog posts relevant to what I do. And I keep the advertising off to the side or top out of the way. I try not to let any of it interfere with my blog content. Blogging does take time and effort. It is nice to be able to make a few dollars while doing something you love.

Each persons experience with Blogging is different. I hope my sharing this information has helped or encouraged you in some way. I chose to be completely honest with the numbers and my experience, as it's the only way to truly share this type of information.

Blessings...

Until next time,
Diana

Visit link for my Additional Blogging Tips

Yard Sale Super Finds - Don't Be Afraid to Make a Low Offer

2013-02-19T15:07:00.003-08:00

Last summer while visiting a neighborhood garage sale I saw an old buffet that I was very interested in. Solid wood, dovetail drawers and a quality built piece. They were selling it with a dining table and chairs and said they did not want to break up the set. I told them that I lived just down the street and that I was interested in just the buffet. He was asking a high price for the set and I figured he would never go for my "cheap" offer on just the buffet, but what the heck. It never hurts to ask! I got out a piece of scrap paper and wrote my name and cell phone number on it, then I wrote buffet offer $50. I told him if you aren't able to sell it, please consider my offer. He basically laughed at me and said if he didn't sell it at the garage sale that he would post it online. I figured I would never hear from him again.

Six months later, I get a phone call. "Hi, this is the guy from the garage sale down the street. You offered $50 for the buffet we were selling." I was shocked! I couldn't believe this guy even kept the piece of scrap paper with my phone number on it. He said "If you still want it, it's yours". I told him "I can pick it up tonight at 7:00 if that works for you". Up to this point I still hadn't found a buffet, so I was doing the happy dance!

I waited for my husband to get home from work, and we drove our little SUV down the street and brought our $50 beauty home. I never ever expected to hear from the guy... especially after several months. Apparently he tried to sell it via eBay and lost fees trying to sell it. I didn't mention to him that eBay was not the best way to sell large furniture items. If he had listed it on Craigslist (which would have been FREE), he likely wouldn't have had a problem selling it!

I was thrilled with my $50 find! I knew as soon as I saw it that I wanted to paint it white. I was so excited that I had my husband start sanding the rough spots out right away. I forgot to take a before picture of the project (ooops)! But here it is after the hardware had been removed and some light sanding had taken place on it.

Here it is after white paint and some light distressing to the edges.

I used the original hardware. It was a bit retro and I didn't like the look of high gloss dirty brass so I painted it a dark brown. The one thing I am still thinking of doing to it is using a dark wax on the distressed areas so they show up more. What do you think? Should I add the dark wax to this piece?

I can't wait to hear from you!

Blessings,
Diana

Linking up -
Miss Mustard Seed

Domestically Speaking

Simple DIY Valentine Sweet Treats

2013-02-12T22:42:00.000-08:00

I just finished making these yummy Chocolate Covered Strawberry sweet treats for my sweetheart for Valentine's Day. It took less than 1/2 hour to make more than a dozen. These are so simple and taste amazing! I admit I ate one, because someone had to test them :)

Here is a quick tutorial on how to make them:

Ingredients: Strawberries, Chocolate Chips, Vegetable Shortening and Sprinkles (sprinkles are optional)

A double boiler method is the best way to melt chocolate. It keeps the chocolate from burning. Just use two sauce pans (a smaller pan inside a larger one). Put an inch of water in the bottom pan and put the burner on low. The hot water underneath is what melts the chocolate... (Pictured below). Note: Please forgive the dirty stove (hehe).

Put one bag (2 cups) of chocolate chips into the pan, then add two tablespoons of vegetable shortening. The shortening is what makes the chocolate thin enough for dipping. (NOTE: Never use water to thin chocolate! It does not work and would ruin the chocolate!!!)

Once the chocolate begins to melt, stir occasionally until mixture is fully melted. Keep stove burner on low. Once fully melted you may turn the burner off. The hot water underneath is enough to keep the chocolate workable.

I use the green stem of the strawberry to hold as I dip the strawberry. You can also use a spoon to spoon the chocolate on from the top. Cover one side and then turn the berry around to cover the other side.

Place the chocolate covered berries on a plate covered in wax paper (once dry they will remove from the wax paper easily). Apply the sprinkles while the chocolate is still wet (so they will stick).

Rather than cramming too many on one plate, I use multiple plates. I guess a cookie sheet covered in wax paper would work well too (that is, if your refrigerator has room, since the next step is to put them in the fridge).

Once you are done applying the sprinkles. Put the plate into the refrigerator, this is how the chocolate will harden.

Let them cool in the fridge for about an hour. Then remove them from the wax paper and they are ready to serve. Strawberries are best if eaten within two days of making. They should be kept in the refrigerator (cool) until you are ready to serve them.

You can use just about any berry or fruit and dip it in chocolate. I have tried bananas, raspberries, maraschino cherries, and marshmallows (okay, so marshmallows aren't a berry, but they taste amazing when covered in chocolate. So so yummy!

DIY Valentine's Art and a Fun Craft

2013-02-07T15:10:00.000-08:00

Check this out, I created my own one of a kind framed wall art. This is how I did it...

I made a Valentine's mobile that hangs above my kitchen table. I used left over foam hearts from the centerpiece I made a couple days ago.

Then I snapped pictures of my craft. I used PicMonkey to modify the look of the photos and created this art (pictured below). It's so cool that we can make our own one of a kind photo art with just a few simple adjustments to the photo!

Here is the mobile I made for above the kitchen dining table. I had a branch hanging centered over my kitchen table that I had put up for Christmas to hang ornaments from. I decided to keep the branch up to use for all of the different holidays throughout the year. I used fishing line to hang a couple of small mason jars (to put battery operated votive candles in) and I stapled the foam hearts together to create the center hanging. I used two sided tape to attach the hearts to the mason jars. It was super simple. The entire project took less than 10 minutes.

This last photo is the photo I modified to create my framed wall art. I love how it turned out!

Valentine's decorations don't need to be expensive. Just a little creativity and you can come up with all sorts of cute ideas.

Until next time,
Happy decorating!

Diana

Easy Peasy Valentine's Centerpiece - Under $2

2013-02-05T15:47:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I put together this simple Valentine's centerpiece using things I already owned and spending less than $2. I used a vintage mirror that I found years ago at a flea market as the base. I used two mason jars that I already had as my candle holders. Epsom salts are in the jars holding the candles up. I found a package of foam glitter hearts at Joann's Craft Superstore for only $1.49 (half price sale... woohoo, I love a sale!). The little glass dots I've had for years. I used two sided tape on the back of the hearts to attach them to the jars. Tied a little twine around the larger jar just to add texture. Then I just put the items around the mirror until they looked cute. The whole project took less than 10 minutes.

I love that this craft was so simple and it turned out super cute!

Until next time,
Happy decorating!

Diana

FREE Valentine's Printables - 1 Corinthians 13

2013-01-31T15:43:00.000-08:00

These Valentine's printables are FREE for your personal use. For full size versions, just click the download links located at the bottom of this post, save it to your computer (click and download when prompted), and then print it to whatever size you like.

1 Corinthians 13, all about LOVE, is one of my favorite scriptures in the bible... so it was the first printable I made. "Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." That is pretty amazing Love! Also, the BEST definition of love ever...

My printer program allows me to choose my frame size, I printed for a 5 x 7 frame and an 8 x 10 frame. It was super easy to get the exact sizes I needed.

On this one I trimmed a little extra of the edging and added a red piece of scrapbook paper behind it to give it a small colored frame (sorta looks like it is matted).

Below are a variety of different color options for this one.

Valentine Printable #1 - Download Here (LOVE)
Note: You must choose the SLOW DOWNLOAD button for the FREE Download

Valentine Printable #2 - Download Here (red/pink)
Note: You must choose the SLOW DOWNLOAD button for the FREE Download

Valentine Printable #3 - Download Here (purples)
Note: You must choose the SLOW DOWNLOAD button for the FREE Download

Valentine Printable #4 - Download Here (aqua/redish pink)
Note: You must choose the SLOW DOWNLOAD button for the FREE Download

FREE Printables - Download below:
Note: You must choose the Slow Download option for the FREE Download! It only takes a second...

Valentine Printable #1 - Here

Valentine Printable #2 - Here

Valentine Printable #3 - Here

Valentine Printable #4 - Here

Terms of use: These printables are Free for my readers. They are intended for personal use. However, if you would like to make them available via your site, you may, but you MUST include a link back to this site (http://anyonecandecorate.blogspot.com).

Amazing Chocolate Melting Cake - Gluten Free

2013-01-26T01:33:00.000-08:00

If you love Chocolate than this dessert is for you!!! It is the easiest and most amazing cake I have ever made, (and I have made it many times). It my my husband and my absolute favorite favorite favorite dessert (did I say favorite?).. Yum!!! You don't even need a beater or mixer on this one. It is flour-less, which also means it's gluten free... and it is oh so so decadent, amazing, awesome, to die for (okay, so you get the point).

As I said, this recipe is easy! It is quick, requires only six basic ingredients and it can be made in a short amount of time (less than 10 minutes from scratch to the oven)... and it takes only 30 minutes in the oven. Yet people will think you are a gourmet chef with this totally easy peasy dessert :)

A few years ago on a cruise, one night with tried their Chocolate Melting Cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I was in heaven, well as close as I could get to heaven on earth. I loved it! Needless to say I ordered it the next night too :) Of course the cruise line was not going to give me their recipe, but I knew that it was a flourless cake. Shortly after we got home I searched the internet for flourless cake recipes. I stumbled upon a receipe that I tried and then tried again tweaking it slightly so it turned out amazingly meltey and oooooie gooey in the middle. It is a huge hit with everyone I have ever served it to. I highly highly recommend it!!!

I like to try to make my recipes as organic as possible so I use organic butter, organic sugar and farm fresh organic eggs (however you can use white sugar and whatever butter and eggs you like).

Recipe -

Ingredients:

1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
In the top of a double boiler over simmering water (NOTE: I use two sauce pans, see below) Melt butter and chocolate chips.
Remove from heat and stir in sugar, cocoa powder, eggs and vanilla.
Pour even amounts into 4 oven safe dishes (fill about 1/2 full - dessert will rise)
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes
Let cool 15 to 20 minutes before serving

end recipe
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I like to serve this dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. However, this chocolate dessert is also very good on it's own!

Step by step photos (with helpful tips) -

Make your own double boiler by using two sauce pans. Place the small pan inside of the larger one as shown. Put one or two inches of water in the lower pan. Turn burner on medium low. The double boiler method keeps the butter and chocolate chips from burning.

Melt butter and chocolate chips...

Remove from stove-top...

Pour in sugar, give a quick stir (will melt into hot butter mix)..

Add cocoa powder and stir

Add eggs and vanilla then stir well (takes about one minute)... I own a beater and a stand mixer... However, this stirs so quickly that I just use a wooden spoon to mix.

The mixture will look like this...

Pour equal amounts into four dishes. Only fill dishes about half way because dessert will rise. I use CorningWare 7 oz. stoneware crocks (ramekins) that I purchased at Walmart. They can also be purchased through Amazon (Free shipping with $25 purchase) at this link: CorningWare French White 7-Ounce Ramekins

I like the crocks (ramekins) because they are ready to serve, just add ice cream or whip cream to the top (depending on your preference)... With these, there is no greasing necessary, (Which I LOVE).

Note: If you prefer, you can use an 8 inch round cake pan, just be sure to grease and dust your pan with cocoa powder first.

Place crocks on a cookie sheet and put them into your 300 degree preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Note: If you prefer your cake be more traditional and not be gooey inside, just increase the oven temperature to 350 degrees and still bake for 30 minutes.

When you first remove them from the oven they will be puffy on top (sorta like muffins)...

As they cool they will collapse a bit, which makes them perfect for putting a scoop of ice cream on top! You can serve them about 20 minutes after they come out of the oven. Warm, but not hot...

Optional, after they cool, cover them with foil and serve them at your convenience. I like serving them warm, so I heat them in the microwave for 20 seconds on high before serving. (Adjust micro time depending how powerful your microwave is).

This dessert is just as amazing on day two and day three as it is on day one. However, I admit that, in our house they don't last past day two!!! I swear I could eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner... (hehe).

I like to serve with Breyers Smooth & Dreamy 1/2 fat Ice Cream because it is natural... and I feel a little less guilty :) But, whatever ice cream you like is fine!

Yummy... this amazing Chocolate melting cake makes a great treat for Valentine's Day and for any day!

All you need is a spoon :) Enjoy!!!