Dusting Off The Mantel

Thrifty Planting Tips

2010-05-20T21:24:00.000-07:00

I have a little secret. Actually, a big secret? Do you ever wonder how you can cut down on the amount of soil you use in your planted pots? Or, do you ever put too much soil in your clay pots that you can barely move them? Problem solved.

Simply add styrofoam pieces (aka: packaging peanuts) to the bottom of the pot. I've been doing this little secret for years. Okay, maybe not YEARS, but definitely three houses ago. It works, trust me. What's not to love about making spring planting a little less expensive and more thrifty! I heart thrifty ideas. Not only will the styrofoam helps decrease your soil costs, it also helps with air flow to decrease mold and mildew from over watering.

Happy thrifty planting to you!

To find out more information why soil itself contacts little styrofoam balls, check out this gardening site.

Creative Cupcake Toppers

2010-05-13T21:46:00.000-07:00

With the summer months quickly approaching, birthdays and picnics become more frequent. An easy dessert (and kid approved as well) is the classic cupcake. But, aren't we all sick and tired of the "classic" cupcake with just frosting? Why not jazz it up a little bit -- and for FREE, too! These are supplies you probably have sitting in your craft cabinet and kitchen.

What you'll need:
cake mix, premade frosting, powdered sugar, food coloring, toothpicks, cupcake liners, cake decorating tips, colorful card stock paper (scrap paper, scrapbook paper, construction paper, etc), stickers, scissors.

Make cupcakes according to directions. Bake and cool. For the frosting, use premade frosting. Spoon into separate bowl. Add food coloring to desired color. To make frosting thicker (it will hold the shape on cupcakes) add powdered sugar. For one tub of frosting, about 1/2 cup or more for desired consistency. For my cupcakes, I used Wilton cake supplies and a #16 decorator tip. Frost cupcakes.

Now, for the special part that turns ordinary into extraordinary. The cupcake topper. Using your scraps of paper, lightly place sticker over the top. Cut around sticker. Slide toothpick under sticker. Press firmly on sticker.

Take your cupcake topper and place in cupcakes. Enjoy!

Want to know the best part of this craft idea? It's multifunctional. Creative cupcake toppers can be changed and mixed and matched according to the occasion or the event. Maybe a Dora the Explorer Birthday Party with Dora stickers? How about zoo animals? And for summer picnics, add stickers with lady bugs, watermelon slices, lemons, flowers.

Easy, easy, easy! And, FREE!

(If you're wondering how I came about the Dr. Seuss theme ... one of my friends watched my daughter today for a few hours and it was her son's birthday. For a birthday surprise and a thank you, I decided to use Dr. Seuss and Cat and The Hat Stickers -- the little boys' favorite).

I'm partying with: The Shabby Nest, It's So Very Cheri, The Persimmon Perch, Life as Lori, Beyond the Picket Fence, Somewhat Simple, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Poppies at Play, Finding Fabulous, Fun to Craft, A Few of My Favorite Things

A Gift From The Heart

2010-05-09T06:47:00.000-07:00

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Whether you're a mom to three, a new mom, an experienced mom, a mother to pets or simply have a mom -- to all women out there -- enjoy your special day!

Secondly, what a better way to celebrate the important women in our life than with a special gift from the heart. Isn't it mostly true that a handmade gift is the best gift? It comes all out of love every single time.

Now, one of my favorite gifts to share with a mother, a special friend (or really anyone you love) ... drum roll ... is my "Many Memories" scrapbook.

The "Many Memories" scrapbook is easy, easy, easy. Make this gift for a mother/friend/etc for her birthday, a special occassion or an anniversary. I start by compiling a list of email address, facebook profiles, snail mail addresses, etc. You have to do this in a sneaky way so your gift receiver does not to find out. Next, contact as many people as you can and let them know you are making a special memory book for your mom (or another recipient, but we'll say mom in honor of Mother's Day) and you need their help! You'd like them to help you by writing a special letter, sending photos, sharing a funny story, a quote or anything that reminds them of your mom. They can send it to you via email or mail. It's as easy as that! Have people your mom knows submit "memories" for a special book.

Once everything (pictures, cards, stories, memories, quotes, birthday wishes, etc) has been collected, compile everything into a scrapbook!

Easy, easy, easy. And, fun, too! Plus, you might learn a thing or two about your mother's past you didn't know ;) that will leave you laughing and smiling about how special she truly is.

Here's a preview and a few helpful tips and ideas on how to format your "Many Memories" scrapbook.

The book --- just a simple scrapbook.

I actually made this book for my mother-in-laws 50th birthday and decided as an extra special touch, I'd find a "Remember When" book for her to look at and remember how much things have changed in 50 years.

Two-page spreads work great for long letters and several photo submissions.

Snail mail cards and homemade letters.

Pictures, quotes, funny stories - and tons of stickers (snag them at Michael's or Joanns 50% ahead of time).

This "Many Memories" book is definitely a gift from the heart and will surely bring your mother tears, laughter, and joy.

Saturday Morning Finds

2010-05-06T05:38:00.000-07:00

I went thrift sailing last weekend. Yes, garage "sailing" as I like to call it because you almost sail from house to house, roughing the high waters, the rising sun, and the birds above -- all to find that great bargain.

Having just really started to get into the bargain aspect of shopping, especially garage sales, I must say I was very pleasantly surprised with my finds. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised enough that I'm actually going back out again this weekend. :)

A few of my bargain finds.

A huge red mirror. Not sure what I'm going to do with this yet, but I have a few plans brewing.

A beautiful black stand to sit in the corner of my kitchen, temporarily, until I can find the perfect hutch or baker's rack.

And, my favorite finds of the day. Pottery Barn and Crate and Barrel style decorations that fit perfectly with our existing decor.

My Favorite Kitchen Utensil

2010-05-03T20:16:00.000-07:00

This special utensil is unique in it's own way. In fact, not too many people know about this utensil, let alone have one in their kitchen utensil drawer. What is this special tool - it's a strawberry masher - and an antique one as well. In fact, this utensil came from an antique store (thanks to my dad) and had a price tag of $20 after a little negotiating. Definitely not a bargain, but worth every.single.penny. Seriously, once you've used on of these, it will be your favorite summer kitchen utensil as well.

Prior to living in California, I always love strawberries. However, nothing screams freshness like being close to the source and having strawberry fields right in your own local town. Thus, the reason why strawberries have become a staple ingredient in our diet these days. They are ripe, juicy and oh-so-delicious.

Now ... onto my favorite utensil. Here's what the strawberry masher looks like.

Here's how you simply make strawberry shortcake. Yum-O! Start with fresh, plump strawberries.

Mash.

Mashed strawberries. Perfect every time. Natural strawberries with no added sugar.

Add a shortcake and a dollop of whipped cream. Serve chilled and enjoy.

And, best of all. This utensil can be used for peaches, berries, strawberries, etc. It's the perfect compliment to a hot summer day.

Pottery Barn Inspired Pedestal Table

2010-04-30T14:37:00.000-07:00

From drab to fab in a matter of days. I found this beauty (please see photo below) on craigslist. It was listed for $50. I had a feeling I would be able to snag this 'beauty' for less than asking price and was thrilled when the owners accepted my $30 offer.

A steal of a deal.
Solid wood ... check.
No chips or cracks ... check.
Included large leaf for table ... check check.

I've been dreaming of a pedestal table for awhile now, I just couldn't find the right price. Thank you craigslist for helping me find my bargain!

With my $30 table on hand, I was ready to begin! This is 'kind of' what I had in mind. Something like this ...

or this ...

because, as usual, what's not to love about Pottery Barn and the looks they create. I can usually be found drooling over their catalogues and trying to dream up new ideas on how to get the PB look for a fraction of a cost.

So ................... with sander in hand, I began sanding out the dried cherrios and left over food from the table.

After sanding, I used the air compressor to blow off all the dust, then wiped clean with a tack cloth.

Armed with my mini roller and black paint/primer combination, I was ready to begin painting this table a few coats of paint.

A few coats later. Finished!

As for my kitchen chairs, I'm almost embarrased to admit what I did for my chairs. I lightly sanded them down with a 200 grit sandpaper, wiped clean and then spray painted. Yes, like the kind of spray paint you buy from a can. I went through 4 cans. These were chairs I already had and was using with my old kitchen table. They were FREE so I couldn't complain to much.

The results!

You might be wondering why such a dark kitchen and why black? First of all, our appliances are stainless and black and our granite is speckled with black. I'm definitely a matchy-matchy type of person and felt black would suit our house best. Plus, for a $30 dollar table, I figured if it didn't look great, I could always start over or try something else. I guess I just have a thing for dark cherry wood and black right now. That's half the fun of DIY'ing and decorating ~ is redoing it when you get sick of it.

I still have a long way to go in our kitchen with decorating, tile backsplash, etc. Baby steps, I keep reminding myself.

This post is linked to: The Shabby Nest, Finding Fabulous, A Few of my Favorite Things, It's Fun to Craft

My 1st "Feature"

2010-04-28T21:42:00.001-07:00

After a long 2 hour nap this afternoon (I know ... lazy bones while my daughter was napping) I have no desire to sleep. The house is clean, everything is in order for tomorrow so I decided to sit down with my laptop and start a new blog about my latest project. What better way to use my time than with a new blog, right? So a blogging I began.

However, I became slightly distracted as I realized I had a new follower and a new comment in my inbox telling me I was going to be featured on Kristi's blog - The Speckled Dog.

Geesh, was I excited! This is my very first feature on another blog. Make sure you check out my feature and the rest of Kristi's favorite DIY projects from the week. Check them out here "The Speckled Dog." Thanks Kristi, you made my day!

Cream Puffs

2010-04-21T12:01:00.001-07:00

It's been raining, gloomy and pretty cold here in California this week so I thought I'd spruce up my blog and post about one of my favorite desserts - cream puffs! Can you tell I'm dreaming of summer entertaining already?

This is an easy recipe for all to enjoy. Plus, cream puffs can be decorated, the filling can be changed, and toppings can be added. You will definitely have a chance to bring out the inner pastry chef in you with this recipe.

First of all, the recipe, which comes from Better Homes and Gardens Special Edition Breast Cancer Cookbook. This is probably one of my favorite cookbooks right now and has become a staple in everyday cooking lately. Plus, purchasing this book a few years ago was helping benefit a great cause as well. It was truly a win-win.

Cream Puffs
Prep: 30 minutes, Cool: 10 minutes, Bake: 30 minutes, Oven: 400'F, Makes: 12 cream puffs

1 cup water
1/2 cup butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs
3 cups whipping cream, pudding, or ice cream
Powdered sugar (optional)

1. In a medium saucepan combine water, butter, and salt. Bring to boiling. Add flour all at once, stirring vigorously. Cook and stir until mixture forms a ball. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition.

2. Drop 12 heapting tablespoons of dough onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden. Transfer cream puffs to a wire rack; cool.

3. Cut tops from puffs; remove soft dough from inside. Filled with whipped cream or desired filling. Replace tops. If desired, sift powdered sugar over the top, add swirls of chocolate syrup, or any added garnish you wish.

For an easy filling inside the cream puff, I actually use a few scoops of vanilla bean ice cream. It's an easy filler with an amazing taste, which is shown below.

As an extra garnish, you can also add swirls of chocolate syrup on the top similar to what an eclair would look like.

Picture courtesy of My Recipes.

Added bonus: You can also use this recipe for eclairs. Prepare as above, except spoon dough into a decorating bag fitting with a large plain round tip (about 1/2-inch opening). Pipe 12 strips of dough, 3 inches apart, onto a greased baking sheet, making each strip 4 inches long, 1 inch wide, and 3/4 inch high. Bake, cool, and split as in steps 2 and 3. Fill eclairs with whipped cream or pudding. Frost with chocolate glaze.

Doormat Wall Art

2010-04-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

Simply put, I used a doormat to make art for my walls. Yes, a rubber doormat from Lowe's. It was simple, easy, and I love the finished results.

About a year ago, I came across an article in my "Lowe's Creative Ideas" magazine about this project. I fell in love and thought, "I must add this to my to-do list."

You may have seen this project on other blogging websites, as well, but I originally credit this project idea to Lowe's. I followed their directions in what to purchase, color options, size, etc.

1. Ask a Lowe’s employee (or in my case, my darling husband) to cut each 1 x 12 x 6 board in half, creating four approximately 3-foot-long boards.

2. Sand the boards, and wipe clean. Wearing gloves, apply stain to the boards following the manufacturer’s instructions. Let dry, and repeat with additional coats if needed to achieve the desired finish. Allow to dry completely.

I even lucked out on my Miniwax stain to score and extra bargain. I already had an extra can sitting on my paint shelf so I saved myself a few extra bucks.

After allowing the stain to dry completely, I added an extra step in here (which differs from Lowe's) and actually used blue painter's tape to tape off the areas I did not want spray paint, such as the sides and directly along the edge. I wanted to make sure the top and bottom had a straight edge and the sides were paint free. The tape worked perfectly, but definitely was a little difficult to get straight! It took me a few times.

3. Cover a flat work surface with a drop cloth, and place two of the boards side by side. Position the doormat face up and centered on the boards. Use painter’s tape to cover any exposed areas outside the border of the mat, including the boards’ side edges.

4. Apply a coat of spray primer to the boards through the mat, spraying from straight above. Then apply two or three light coats of spray paint. Note: Heavy coats of paint will blur the stencil design. Allow each coat to dry.

5. Remove the doormat, and repeat Steps 3–4 for the remaining two boards.

I must admit, I was most nervous about Step 5 - removing the doormat. There was a little bit of anxiety and uncertainty of whether or not the spray paint bled or didn't spray through enough.

6. Spray the boards with clear polyurethane. Allow to dry. Hang the boards using picture hangers and appropriate hardware for your wall type.

Voila ~ the finished results!

A few extra tips from blogland.
- Do not use spray paint as the background color and then try to use white spray paint over the doormat. It will bleed.
- Make sure you do not coat the stain to thick or make sure you wipe stain completely. During my last coat of stain, I used a saturated rag to clean up the residue leaving too much stain on the boards. A tacky, sticky board remained. I was bummed. However, a little paint thinner on a rag cleaned it right up and I didn't even need to re-stain.
- Do thin, light coats of white spray paint. It's more effective and will lead to less bleeding of the spray paint.

Good luck!!!!!

This post is linked to:
DIY Show Off, Between Naps on the Porch, Persimmon Perch, It's So Very Cheri.

Adding a Little More Fun

2010-04-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

In honor of April Fool's Day and to have a little bit of fun, I decided to post a super quick, easy project I finished for my daughter's playroom. How fun, right?

In a previous post found here, I explained my love for children's Pottery Barn tables, but a dislike for the super expensive prices. So ... as usual ... what's a mom on a budget to do? Hunt down the bargain stores to see what I can find. Apparently $1.99 is my new price at Goodwill because I found a little storage/side/end table for $1.99. I knew it would be perfect to store my daughter's baby doll items and for the baby doll area of our playroom.

But, as usual, this little piece was pretty ugly. The brown was a very 'bright' colored brown and needed a bit of sanding prior to painting.

And, the little handle was purple. Brown and purple for a little side table, what a combination! I can definitely see how the combination would be cute in some girl rooms or playrooms, but it just was not the look I was trying to go for to match the children's table I painted a few weeks ago.

This is what the table looked like after I sanded it all down. Actually, I thought it was pretty cute with the shabby chic look I just created. I debated about keeping it shabby chic or roughing up the edges once it was painted, but I decided it will eventually look a little worn in a children's play area and I kept with my original thought - match my current table/chair set.

After sanding down the table, I painted a simple coat of primer. I waited about an hour and then painted two coats (of my PB inspired green paint), letting dry in between each coat of paint. The best part of this project? I already had the green paint (remaining paint left over from my children's table) and primer so this project ultimately cost me $1.99.

Voila! The final results.

Do you have any other children's play area or playroom design tips? I'm trying to figure out how to make the room more cohesive and flow. I'm working on it. One step at a time!

My $1.99 Goodwill Chair

2010-03-30T22:32:00.000-07:00

My $1.99 Goodwill chair.

I knew this chair was something special when I saw it marked down and down again. How on earth someone else didn't snag this chair for that price is beyond me. But, I saw it and fell in love. Seriously, one ninety nine. Unbelievable for a solid wood chair.

And, after further inspection, I found all the original tags and markings on the chair and determined that W. H. Gunlock Chair Company has made chairs for libraries, government agencies and several United States Presidents. Now, that's something special to say about my bargain find.

Needless to say, after finding the original paperwork on the bottom of the chair, researching, and realizing that chairs like this are selling for $399 at Pottery Barn, I decided I couldn't wait any longer to refinish this chair.

My first step was to sand the chair, fully dissemble the chair and remove the cushion. For my first step, I tried something new with this chair - liquid sander.

However, I was not that impressed with the product because it left a funky texture and residue on the chair. If you look close in the picture below, you can see the residue building up. The overall time process to use the liquid sander felt like it was double the work because I still had to sand the entire chair after using the liquid sander.

However, with the sanding and liquid sander, I was definitely able to strip the paint from all original coats of varnish/laquer or whatever the heck was layered on that chair.

After the sanding was finished, and after closer examination, I realized the base of the chai was actually brown, instead of black. The solution - tons of cleaning and a few simple coat of spray paint!

Let the painting begin. I decided on the paint with primer in it from Home Depot. Great choice for the chair and great to cut paint time in half! Thank you Home Depot.

Almost there.

The final results. Ahhhhh-mazing! My $1.99 chair looks much better.

Clear as mud, right? Overall, a much easier project than anticipated. Taking apart, sand, paint, recover chair, put chair back together, and enjoy!

One more note -- thank you to my lovely assistant (my mother-in-law) for all of her help. You can probably see a few other projects in the background that I'll be posting about in the near future. During her recent visit we were able to refinish a few furniture pieces and cross them off my to-do list. Thanks!

Book Rack

2010-03-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

Check out my latest bargain find - a book (or magazine) rack for my daughter's bedroom.

My posts seem to be about the decorating items I've found lately instead of the items I have made or created, but I guess that just goes with the nature of life. I've been busy and haven't had time to highlight some of my recent projects.

I'll have to thank Goodwill for this $4.99 beauty! Seriously, I'm in love. Aren't all Goodwill treasures beautiful when you only need to clean and disinfect?

This latest bargain involved zero painting, zero elbow scraping and zero work on my part. Just a little cleaning, use of Mr Clean's Magic Eraser [I heart these things] and some Lysol and this book rack was good to go.

And another closer look.

I'll have to admit, my Goodwill purchase will compete with Pottery Barn's $99 magazine rack anyday.

WALLIES Wall Play

2010-03-24T12:56:00.000-07:00

A new addition to our playroom upstairs. I love love love it! Thanks to a wonderful birthday gift from a college friend, Ms. A now has a new set of decor on one of her playroom walls. The wall art is called Wall Play, by WALLIES. It's absolutely amazing. The colors are bright and cheery - perfect for a little girls' playroom.

She loves it as well. I'm on the hunt to replace a few of the other wall decorations I currently have so they all match a tad better.

I'd say this look compares to cute Pottery Barn kids decorations and wall art. They are so sweet and girly. I'm debating out what kind of toys to place around the decorations and whether or not to move them to her bedroom or not. Decisions, as always. But for now, I love where they are in our playroom and my daugther does as well.

Thank You Craigslist

2010-03-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

I've been on the hunt for a coffee table that fits with our sectional. Man, is that a tough task. My husband and I shopped all over our local area, only to find that Pottery Barn's Metropolitan collection's table was one of the few that would actually work. However, I've had a hard time justifying the extra shipping costs I'd encur by shopping PB online (since it's the only way I could order the table).

I did a little random online shopping one day though craigslist and found EXACTLY the table I was looking to purchase. And, it was $265 less (not including shipping fees, taxes, etc). I was sold!

I'm still deciding what to do with the table - paint it? refinish it? stain it? I can't decide. But, for now, it's sitting our living room just waiting to be refinished to match our other furniture in our family room. I did find out it's the older model of the current Metropolitan table, but I still like the smooth lines and classic, yet contemporary feel. Here's a close up.

Here's the table in our family room with my new pictures in the background. I made these myself thanks to a tutorial from Lowes. I'll be explaining how I made these in another post - stay tuned!

It's TIME for a Bargain

2010-03-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

As promised, the start of my bargain shopping finds.

"Obsessed with bargain shopping" should seriously become my middle name. Or, at least for awhile until I get over this hump. We moved into our house back in November and gained tons of extra space. What does and what did that mean? More decorating for me. Now, a stay at home mom living off one income and needing to fill the walls to make our house a home. Thus, the reason to bargain shop. Plus, since my family moved two times in less than a year, decorating our house has become a mission.

Here's one of the bargains I found back when we lived in Vancouver. Too good to not show again. I can thank Goodwill for this beauty.

A beautiful clock, price at $99 brand new at Target.

Yes, I found this beauty at Goodwill for just $19. And, I must add, it was brand new, still in the box. You can start drooling now.

So, of course, a picture of Ms. A showing off my new find, which is now beautifully hanging in our kitchen eating area.

Pottery Barn Inspired Children's Table

2010-03-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

What's not to love about Pottery Barn kids? There furniture is adorable, the colors are fantastic, and everything would look so great in my daughter's bedroom and play area. So what's not to love? The price tag. Gulp. Yes, the price tag's not to love.

During one of my recent shopping trips to search for play room ideas, I came across the cutest little kids table and chair set.

However with a price tag of $308 for the set - $139 (set of 2 chairs) and $169 for the table - it was easy to turn around and say, "Um, no thank you" and walk out of the store. Of course, I still loved the idea of the table and thought the colors were oh-so-girlie and too cute to resist.

What's a bargain mom like myself to do? Start shopping! And shopping is what I started to do. I headed to the nearest Goodwill for a thrifty shopping day and what did I spy? The PERFECT children's table. I truly think this table was meant to be mine. Who could have resisted a blue beauty like this. And, with a price tag of only $4.99, there was no second guessing.

Yes, the picture above is shown in the sanding phase, but isn't this a beauty? A solid wood, blue kids table. LOVE IT!

What did I do to turn my Goodwill treasure into a Pottery Barn inspired children's table?

Step 1: Sanded table. I used a lower grit sand paper first and then used a higher grit for the finishing touches.

Step 2: Wipe down table with lightly damp cloth.

Step 3: Primer. I used Kilz Primer. Let dry.

Step 4: Paint! I headed to Home Depot to pick up one of their sample sized paint containers. I debated and debated about paint colors, but finally decided on a mint green similar to Pottery Barn's color.

A closer look at the paint color and label. The perfect size paint for smaller projects like this one. And, with a price tag of less than $3 per container, the price can't be beat!

Drum Roll, please. The results?

My Pottery Barn inspired children's table is perfectly paired with two chairs from IKEA.

What a bargain, and for a fraction of the cost.

My final price tag:
$40 - two chairs
$5 - table
$3 - paint
primer, sanding supplies, cloth, paint brush (used from my supply drawer) - free

TOTAL: $48 for my DIY children's table or (Remember the pricey tag of $308 for Pottery Barn's version?)

I definitely had to sacrifice some on the look (the chairs are not the windsor PB style), but I think the colors go well with the look I was trying to achieve and my two year old will never know the difference. Add a tea set to the top and voila, perfect-O!

I love it! This was such an easy project and didn't require tons of tools. I still need to put a coat of polyurethane on the table, but wanted to make sure I had enough time for the paint to cure because it's been really humid in California the last week.

What's not to love? Nothing. It's purely perfect and fit for a little girl to have tea parties and host friends for playgroup.

I'm partying with ...

Frugal Friday Linky Party by The Shabby Nest

Delicious Carrot Cake

2010-03-14T06:42:00.000-07:00

For my husbands birthday, I decided to try a new recipe - carrot cake. Carrot cake is absolutely delicious. To a carrot cake lover, that is. Carrot cake is a sweet cake with grated carrot mixed into the batter. Absolutely delicious. My husband and I have had many carrot cakes throughout the years, but somehow, during our 5 years of marriage, I had yet to bake one on my own. As his 28th birthday celebration was approaching, he asked if I would bake him a carrot cake for his special treat.

I, being the Sous Chef, obliged and said yes.

A birthday cake for my husband and a new experient for myself. Sounded like a great plan! However, being in a new house and having recently used most of my staple baking supplies, my first step was to go to the grocery store and purchase all the staple ingedients to restock my pantry cupboard. It's amazing how expensive baking ingredients can be when you have to start from scratch to refill, but, with my Safeway card I was able to snag some great deals and save about 70 dollars from my grocery bill of $50. (I'll have to get more into the details of my bargain grocery shopping later. I even attended a Moms Club session on grocery savings and coupon clipping).

And so the mess began ...

One of the most crucial steps (according to the recipe giver, Ranae) is to let the grated carrots and brown sugar soak in together for 60 minutes. And, for those health concious people out there - this recipe called for 6 cups of grated carrots and 1 cup crushed pineapple - so if you think you aren't getting any healthy benefits from this cake, think again!

I eventually had to add the raisins to the carrot mixture and then mix the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.

Mixing the frosting together. I used my Kitchen Aid mixture for this one. Mixing the frosting in the kitchenaid mixture definitely makes for a super smooth, easy to spread frosting mixture.

This is my secret recipe tip. If you are frosting a large cake and need to frost all sides. Instead of trying to frost and layer the cake all at once, try this. Put a think layer of frosting on the cake, not worrying about flaking crumbs or pieces of cake in the thin frosting layer. Next, refridgerate cake for 15-20 minutes to make the frosting harden. Take the cake out of fridge and refrost using a heavier layer. Trust me, this works! You will end up with a better looking cake without crumbs in the frosting.

After frosting entire cake, dust off cake decorating tools and get a little creative with the birthday cake. If you do not have a decorators frosting bag, just put frosting into a ziploc bag and cut off the corner. A simple trick that works almost the same.

I even colored the frosting to go with our orange "carrot" theme by adding a few drops of red and yellow food coloring.

The results? Drum roll, please.

An absolutely delicious, moist, incredibly flavorful Carrot Cake.

Yum-O! Thanks, Ranae for this scrumptious recipe (please see below)!

Carrot Cake Recipe

6 cups grated carrots
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup raisins
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsps vanilla
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a medium bowl, combine grated carrots and brown sugar. Set aside for 60 minutes, then stir in raisins.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 10 inch cake pans.

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light. Gradually beat in the white sugar, oil and vanilla. Stir in the pineapple. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and stir into the wet mixture until absorbed. Finally, stir in the carrot mixture and walnuts. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.

Bake for 45-50 minutes in preheated oven, until cake tests done with toothpick. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. When completely cooled, frost with cream cheese frosting.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened (no substitutions)
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 package (16 ounces) confectioners sugar

In large bowl, with mixer at medium high speed, beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla 2 minutes or until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Beat in confectioners sugar until blended. Increase speed to medium-high; beat 2 minutes or until light and creamy. I usually use more than 16 ounces. Make sure you do a few taste tests to see if the frosting is of the consistency you want.

Makes 3 1/2 cups.

"New" Pictures on the Walls

2010-03-12T18:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of our old bedroom. Yes, a little blah, a little boring. I'm slowly getting better with decorating and this was a middle stage of our OLD house in Vancouver. We made changes before we sold our house, but I never got around to take pictures before we moved (the old hanging curtain rod without curtains, etc, etc). Thus, the resulting photo.

Well, since this photo, we have moved to a new house w/ a different master bedroom. However, our bedroom furniture, accessories and decorations have stayed much the same. All except one little thing. The pictures on the wall.

If you noticed in the first picture [ old house ] the pictures truly get lost on the wall. The problem - No color, no bold frame, the pictures get lost on the wall. The solutions - DIY project and a little spray paint and elbow grease.

What did I do?

1. Take the pictures down from the wall.

2. Cover the glass like crazy! I simple used tape and paper to cover the frame, sliding the paper underneat the frame to make sure I didn't get any paint on the glass.

3. Spray paint. I used an oil rubbed bronze color this time around, although the spray paint still looks very much brown or espresso to me. I wanted for the frames to dry and then took the paper and tape off the frame.

4. Hang new pictures and enjoy.

Ahh ... much better.

You'll also notice that we have plantation shutters. I'm still adjusting to this new style of window treatments and pondering what else I should do to jazz up the windows or leave them as is.

A Little Bit of Inspiration

2010-03-11T20:02:00.001-08:00

A sneak peak of some birthday party prep work for my two-year-old daughter. Yikes. Why on earth did I make this so time consuming. She is only going to be two-years-old. Probably because I saw these (see below) in a Pottery Barn Kids catalogue and fell in love with them, but not with the price tag. I thought they would be a fun accessory for her playroom upstairs.

Then I started thinking, wow, hmmmm, I could really do these. When my husband and I decided on a Jungle Safari Birthday Party theme for Ms. A's (as I will refer to my daughter) 2nd birthday bash - we decided it was a must for the little kiddos to celebrate with lifesized jungle animals. Let's just say it's a good thing Ms. A has been low key this week watching movies and having quiet time while her little ears heal from their ear infection and her cough subsides. It's given me plenty of time to draw, cut, paint, and paint, and paint some more.

I would like to add that these PB Wall Decals will run $99 to $129. Or at least for the jungle themed ones.

I put my thinking cap on and went straight to work. My supplies - my creative hand, paint, poster boards, drawing pencil, paint brushes, and a little bit of elbow grease.

Next, I hand drew all of the animals (with inspiration from Pottery Barn) and cut those babies out with a pair of scissors.

Proceeding to paint and paint and paint some more, the animals came to life. One by one. I am more than thrilled to see how well they are turning out. My price tag is probably 95% less than the Pottery Barn decals so I'll take it!

Here's my favorite one thus far. A little blue elephant. At a price tag of $1.97 for a large blue paint, $1.97 for white paint, and $.97 for a small blue paint. Let's just say $5. And, this paint was shared with other animals as well and I have TONS leftover for future projects.

My elephant. My $5 DOLLAR, elephant, might I add.

Or, Pottery Barn's Elephant. At a price tag of $119.

You make the call! My adorable little blue elephant for $5 or pottery barn's WAY OVERPRICED elephant for $119.

The decision is easy. Thank you, Pottery Barn!

And, this is only the beginning of the fun safari decorations and jungle themed birthday party plans I have up my sleeve for next weekend.

Sweet Potato Splenda

2010-03-10T13:13:00.000-08:00

In an effort to eat healthier, I decided to try a new recipe to go along with our sandwiches the other night for dinner - Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Sometimes big knives and raw meats keep me from having my "greatest helper" from helping in the kitchen. But, then there are other times when I have recipes with lots of shakers and fun ingredients to stir. In case you weren't aware, to an almost two year old toddler, spices are known as shakers because usually make a small noise plus a cause and effect relationship. You shake the spices, something comes out. This is ever so exciting to a toddler.

I added my own twist to the recipe by adding a few other spices and eliminating others and I opted not to use my crinkle cut knife (only because I couldn't find it at the time). I'm still adjusting to my new kitchen and can't quite get the cooking utensils in the right spot yet!

A little spice here and a lot of spice there. The end result - burnt sweet potato fries!

The recipe didn't turn out, as can be seen in the picture. The fries turned brown in less than half the baking time. The crunch in the fry was completely non existent and was replaced with a soft potato texture. I think I cut the strips too thin and didn't add enough olive oil. Needless to say I won't be trying this recipe again but am on the hunt for another replacement instead. And in case the recipe appeals to you or you want to know what not to do - the recipe is shown below.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen, 2008

Ingredients
House Seasoning:
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Olive Oil, for tossing
5 sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4-inch long slices, then 1/4-wide inch strips, using a crinkle cut knife
Oil
1 tablespoon House Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon paprika
For the House Seasoning:
Directions
Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Line a sheet tray with parchment. In a large bowl toss sweet potatoes with just enough oil to coat. Sprinkle with House Seasoning and paprika. Spread sweet potatoes in single layer on prepared baking sheet, being sure not to overcrowd. Bake until sweet potatoes are tender and golden brown, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Laundry Room Re-Do

2010-03-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

The laundry room re-do. Yes, finally here. This project has been finished for several months, I just never got around to posting the finished product. I finished this project just in time to put our house in the market and to move out of our house. Go figure.

My "new" laundry room in California will be decorated quite differently and will serve as a multi-purpose room since it will function as both our mudroom and our laundry room. However, I think I can deal with that issue because I managed to get a sink with tile counters and built in cherry cabinets to hide my laundry accessories. I definitely will not need to hide as much in my new laundry headquarters.

This simple laundry room re-do was merely accomplished by gathering items I already had in my house, purchasing a few cans of spray paint and one Goodwill bargain basket as well. I fell in love with Espresso spray paint this summer. My fingers literally felt like they were going to fall off after I sprayed paint literally everything in my laundry room.

My old laundry room was boring. Yes, boring. Nothing too exciting. Lots of hodge podgey stuff and none of my baskets matched.

My solution to solve this problem was Espresso Spray Paint from Home Depot. Each can was about $3 and I used 2 of them. Since I do not have cabinets in my laundry room, I thought trying to be matchy-matchy with my baskets would be the best to try and blend the look together.

I took everything out of my baskets and lined them in the garage (which was open of course) and sprayed the heck out of every nook and cranny. The result.

I then neatly stored everything back in the original baskets and rearranged a few of them as well.

I snagged a half-off basket at Goodwill (and spray painted this as well) to store all my little everyday laundry essentials. I also found 2 glass jars w/ stainless tops to store my laundry detergent and dryer sheets. The jars were used in the pantry for snacks, but I thought they would look better in here. I dusted off a lamp from our storage closet as well. The Iron Chef thought the lamp was a bit much, but I think it adds warmth and cheer to the laundry room.

If you did not already know, I love labeling items. I figured that labeling a few boxes in the laundry room would add to an organized look as well. I created the labels on my computer and used packaging tape to secure them to the boxes. The clear sterilite bins were from my collection of Big Lots sterilite bins in my house (you can score major savings by purchasing these shoe bins from Big Lots for .99 a piece) and I found two black shoe boxes and taped a few labels on there as well. The shoe boxes were a stretch, I know. And, you can see the sharpie marked out letters if you get close. But, I was in a pinch and trying to quickly get organized so it worked just fine.

One of my baskets displayed a "LAUNDRY" label tag. I got a little creative with this one and took the tag off, glued it to one of my existing plaques and voila! I also did a simple google search and found a few random laundry photos in black and white. I printed these off and put them in frames I had sitting in the closet collecting dust. A simple and free way to REdecorating using what I already had in my own home.

I polished the look off by switching around a few hangers in our house, adding a neutral colored rug, and adding a little boxwood greenery.

The final look I was very proud of. The cost? Merely nothing. 2 bottles of spray paint totaling $6, a $1 goodwill bargain basket, a few printed photos from the internet, a little bit of sweat, spray painted fingers, and my hard earned time.

Ahhhhhhhh, yes. Much better. Much, much, much better.

Just a simple change. Nothing too fancy, but well worth it in my eyes. And, a bargain might I add.

Now wait until you all see the DIY project I am going to do with the wooden office desk chair (swivel, w/ arms) I snagged up at Goodwill in California for $1.99. Chairs like this are retailing for $399 at Pottery Barn and I scored my beauty for less than what you can pay for a gallon of milk.

A New Chapter

2010-03-09T12:12:00.000-08:00

Blogging is fun, simply put. It's a fun way to embrace creative talents and search the web to see what is out there! The ideas I generate from an online search through blogs are endless so I decided to join in on the fun with a separate blog for my crafts, DIY projects and other fun decorating ideas.

I'm starting off my blog by reposting a few of my favorite posts (from my personal blog) about decorating, DIY, Goodwill bargains, etc - just to jump start my new addition of this blog.

Here I go ~ off on another blogging adventure.