The Wife Less Ordinary

Cleveland Brownies in a Mug

2013-01-30T11:44:00.002-05:00

It is tough - TOUGH - growing up in Cleveland. Now, I'm not saying the streets are mean or there's nothing to do or the food is terrible...none of that is true (mostly). We have a world-class theater district and orchestra, art and natural history museums, fantastic ethnic neighborhoods with amaaaazing food (Slyman's, anyone?) and our beautiful Lake Erie.

But then...oh, THEN...

We have the Cavs.

We have the Indians.

We have the Browns.

Ugh. We've been depressed since 1964. No wonder we're all fat.

To make matters worse, this weekend is the Super Bowl. And the Ravens are representing the AFC for the second time in a dozen years. Goddammit.

I figure the only way to see the Brownies on Super Bowl Sunday is to bake some. If you're like me, though, baking an entire pan of brownies is a dangerous, tempting, delicious proposition. I also don't want to wait around for an hour while they bake. What's a chubby girl to do? The answer, my friends, is MUG BROWNIES!

In less than 5 minutes, you, too, can be enjoying ooey-gooey fudgy brownies. If you need pictures, I'll post some later...chances are pretty good I'll be making one this evening.

What You Need

A mug. No mixing bowls necessary.
2 Tbsp. melted butter (I suppose you could use margarine, but why? Butter is BUTTER.)
2 Tbsp. milk (If you don't like/can't have milk, use water.)
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract (Or your favorite extract...almond or mint are also yummy!)
2 Tbsp. cocoa powder (NOT instant...the real stuff, folks.)
4 Tbsp. sugar (Splenda is an option, but it changes the consistency, and really, you're eating a brownie already...just use sugar.)
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour (I don't recommend wheat flour. I used it once in a pinch...never again.)

Optional Options for Tarting Up Your Brownie

Before:

Mix in a dollop of peanut butter or Nutella.

After:

Add a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Note:

Dollop is a ridiculous word.

What You Do

Melt the butter. Just nuke it on 50% power for about a minute.
Add in the milk and the vanilla extract. Whisk it together. I have a tiny whisk, but a fork would work just as well.
Add in the cocoa powder. Whisk it together.
Add in the sugar. Whisk it together.
Add in the flour. Whisk it together.
Nuke that bad boy on high for about 1 minute. If you like more of a cake consistency to your brownies, bump that up to 90 seconds. When I make them for Mr. K & me, his sits for the minute mine is in the microwave, and it thickens up.
Enjoy! It's like a hug in a cup.

- Mrs. K

As We Roll Down This Unfamiliar Road...

2012-12-10T21:53:00.000-05:00

So, hi. Remember me? I used to be a burgeoning little blogger-girl, then I went and fell off the face of the earth last April. Whoopsie.

I have no decorating or project updates to report, because I'm lazy and have no self-discipline. What's crazy is that I did so much fun stuff this summer with my friend, Louise*, I had absolutely no business not writing about our adventures. I mean...

We learned how to ride motorcycles.

We learned how to shoot rifles.

We explored Indianapolis in one of these ridiculously fun—and decidedly uncool—contraptions.

We had lunch at The Chocolate Cafe. If you're ever in Indianapolis, you owe it to yourself—nay, humanity—to indulge in a little slice of heaven. On a steeck.

And we hung out with our friend, Mitch.

We did a lot of fun stuff. And at some point during all that fun, the Olympics (and NBC’s positively craptastic coverage thereof) happened.

It was during said Olympics that I fell in love with the song, "Home"...couldn't escape it, really. Pretty sure it was the women's gymnastics team's theme song, which is weird, especially when you read the lyrics. The kid who sings it won American Idol, I guess? I don't know...I haven't watched that show since Season 5. Anyway, I love this song. I heard it in the truck this week and started bawling (of course), because it really is very much my life right now.

Hold on to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you’re not alone
'Cause I'm gonna make this place your home
Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble, it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found

Isn't that pretty? Apropos, since in 28 days, the zombies will have taken over. Wait, no, that's not right. In 28 days, we're moving to Montana. (Actually, I'm since I'm a PFC, it's now 18 days...holy crap.) We're packing up the house and the K-9s and embarking on a cross-country journey, starting a new adventure. A new state, a new job, a new house, a new chapter. A place where every morning, we get to wake up to views like this:

I'm excited and scared. But I know I’m not alone; we’re gonna make this place our home.

Won't you roll with us down this unfamiliar road? It should be a fun ride...
- Mrs. K

*Name changed to protect the awesomeness that is Thelma & Louise.

Look At This Stuff, Isn't It Neat?

2012-04-03T23:04:00.000-04:00

Hi, y'all.

As I've mentioned before, I'm a really terrible procrastinator. The worst, really. I got a book once for how to organize your time and defeat procrastination, but (you know where this is going) I haven't gotten around to reading it. It's languishing in a pile somewhere, along with my books about how to conquer clutter. So, I'm just as clueless & behind as I was before, only now I have eleven fewer dollars in my wallet.

Where was I?

Oh, right.

So, as a PFC (Procrastinator First-Class), this Mrs. has more than a few projects that have piled up over the years. And one of the reasons I even started this blog was so I'd have the impetus to finally get moving on them. Here's just a sampling of my "To Do" list:

1A. and 1B. - I love, LOVE vintage ads. Original, I know, but they're popular for a reason, which is that they're awesome. My intent (for the last 6 years!) is to mat and frame those beauties and get my Retro Kitchen Redo underway. I mean, just look at how fantastic these are, you guys (click to embiggen):

Gorgeous!

Don Draper, eat your heart out.

2. Obviously, family history is a passion of mine. Yep, I'm a genealogy junkie. And in that cardboard box is a beautiful family tree that a friend gave me for Christmas in 2010 (are you seeing a pattern here, folks?) that I just haven't filled in yet. I'm mostly just afraid that I'll misspell a name, in ink, with crappy penmanship, and just botch the whole thing. Seriously, I need therapy.

3. This is probably the easiest thing on my list. All I need to do is hang this drawing of Mr. K (done by my ridiculously artistic MIL-K) in the Music Room (which isn't so much a room as it is a corner of the guest bedroom). But before I can do that, I have to finish number 8.

4. On second thought, this is probably the easiest. Just gotta hem those bad boys for Mr. K.

5. I am not an athlete. I am a band geek to the core. But for one shining moment in college, I was a rugger. And I was good. This is my jersey, waiting patiently to be shadow-boxed for going on 20 years.

2nd Row Forward, bitches.

6. In 1980, my folks piled us into the station wagon and took us to Sea World. This chalk drawing of me & my sister is so cute, but it is HUMONGOUS. It is also in the ugliest, cheapest frame EVER, sporting quite possibly the worst mat job since the dawn of time. Task 6 is to shrink it down to manageable size, mat/frame it in a non-gross manner, and maybe even make a second one for my sister.

I really need to bring back those bangs.

7. No, this isn't the Ugly Orange Chair soon to be ousted by my pal, Hovås. This is an antique rocker that my mom re-covered back in the early 80s. I wouldn't have gone with ORANGE CORDUROY on an early-20th century rocker, buy hey, who am I to judge? This fella is getting a makeover (maybe with a pretty French toile?) and might take up temporary residence in my Reading Nook.

Oh, I'm judging, alright.

My mom swears she never did drugs. I'm dubious.

8. You can't really tell in the pictures, but the walls in my guest bedroom are little-girl pink painted (poorly) over a bright blue. Blech. I don't like pink. So, number 8 is painting that room...I'm leaning toward a soft flannel-gray in Ralph Lauren's Suede Finish paired with IKEA bedding in a gray/blue palette.

9. I'll have to do some research on what kind of paint to use, but I'd like to paint the register black. Have any of you ever tackled this particular project? If so, what kind of roller will I need to use? I wonder if they make some sort of gadget to get in between each section? Hmm...

El Yucko.

Well, that oughta keep me busy for a while, huh? As always, thanks for reading & leaving comments!

-Mrs. K

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

2012-03-24T12:36:00.000-04:00

I have this weird thing (I know, you're shocked!) with food textures. Certain things just gross me out and I just can't eat them. And, because I'm a special brand of crazy, I'm grossed out not only by things normal people think are gross, like slimy oysters or stretchy/chewy calamari or that disgusting layer of skin that pudding gets while it's chilling in the fridge...BLECH!...but I'm also grossed out by the texture of seemingly normal things like oranges and bananas. I also hate, HATE fake banana flavoring, but that's a whole other story.

Here's the thing. I can only handle bananas if they're about 40% green on the outside. This means the banana inside hasn't turned to complete mush, and isn't too sweet. It also means I have a very small window of proper banana ripeness levels, which usually leaves me with half a bunch of uneatable bananas. What's a girl to do? Three words: Banana Bread, baby!

Wait, make that five words:

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, baby!

Can you believe I took this picture with my phone?!

What You Need

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
3 eggs
3 medium bananas, mashed (about 1 1/3 cups)
1/2 cup buttermilk
3 cups flour (no need for fancy here...all-purpose is fine)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 package (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips (or chunks)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts - If you don't like nuts, or are allergic, you can leave 'em out, no biggie.

TIP: For a quick, no-mess way to mash up the bananas, leave them in their skin and just roll them back & forth on the counter, then just peel them open and scoop out the mush.

What You Do
1. Preheat your hopefully-not-as-crappy-as-mine oven to 350. Grease & flour two 9x5 loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter ~~into submission~~ until light & fluffy on medium speed. (I used a hand mixer, but if you've got big ol' Kitchen Aid stand mixer, 1. that's fine, and 2. I'm jealous.)

One day, Precious, you will be mine.

TIP: If you forgot to soften the butter at room temperature, pop it in the microwave in a glass container (I use a Pyrex measuring cup) for 15 seconds on 20% power. Keep an eye on it, though...you do NOT want it to melt.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each one. The batter will be about the consistency of vanilla pudding at this point.

4. Dump in the bananas and buttermilk, and mix on low speed for about a minute.

5. In a separate small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda & salt.

It's just flour, Scarface. Don't get excited.

6. Slowly add the flour mixture to the banana mixture, and mix on low speed just until blended.

7. Fold in the chocolate chips & the chopped walnuts.

8. Pour the batter into the loaf pans (evenly split, of course!).

9. Chuck that gooey goodness into the oven, and bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. (By the way, whoever discovered that little trick is a damn genius.)

10. Let the bread cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes. Be sure to wait at least 10 minutes before you remove the loaves.

Don't you wish you had smell-o-web? Yeah, you do!

TIP: Keep an eye on your banana bread-lovin' man, too...otherwise, he won't be able to wait, and you'll end up with this:

Pretty? No. Delicious. Ohhhh, yeah.

11. Cool the loaves on a wire rack for 1 hour before slicing. Banana bread really needs this loooong hour to firm up enough to be sliceable. Be warned, though, the waiting is TORTURE. But, if you (or your husband) screw up one loaf, go ahead and eat it while it's warm...life is short.

Hello, gorgeous.

Much like Mr. K, worth the wait.

Enjoy!

I'd love to hear in the comments if you're trying any of these recipes & whether they're as big a hit at your house as they are at mine.

-Mrs. K

p.s. Don't even talk to me about black bananas...those things are the work of the devil.

Sharing with my girls over at Serenity Now, Tatertots & Jello, Funky Junk Interiors, Six Sisters' Stuff, and A Bowl Full of Lemons, and Savvy Southern Style! Go visit their blogs...but please come back.

Sail On, Silver Girl...

2012-03-22T14:21:00.001-04:00

There's a scene in The Princess Bride (quite possibly the greatest movie of all time) in which Fezzik, Vizzini, & my dear Inigo are approaching the Cliffs of Insanity. Giving chase, and gaining on them, is the very cute Dread Pirate Roberts who's out to rescue their captive, his beloved Buttercup. And Inigo says, rather bemusedly, "He's right on top of us! I wonder if he is using the same wind we are using?"

My life has felt strangely similar recently. Heading for the Cliffs of Insanity, no wind in my sails. And sadly, no cute pirates anywhere in the vicinity.

*sigh* I need to find my inner Westley. Confident, funny, clever, and following through on a plan even when I've been mostly dead all day.

First thing I've gotta do is get my sails back up...and that's what I'm doing here. I get a lot of joy out of writing this little blog, and I realized this morning I haven't posted in a month. No wonder I'm cranky. So, stay tuned, because posts? They are a-comin'! I've got two recipes to share with y'all, as well as some little crafty things, and an update on my reading nook.

Thanks for reading!
-Mrs. K

Step Three: It's Just You and Me.

2012-02-27T21:47:00.000-05:00

Liefde.

These are my grandparents. This portrait was taken on their wedding day in April 1942. She was barely 22, posing with borrowed flowers, mortified that she wasn't wearing her hat. He was almost 30, dapper even then in his 3-piece suit, the son of a farmer determined to be more, do more. The Nazis had invaded two years before, and Holland wouldn't be liberated for another three. In those years, their first-born son died in infancy, a daughter came soon after, and they were forced to move several times as their homes were either destroyed or used as headquarters. My grandfather was arrested by - and escaped from - the Germans. When the war ended, the village where our family has lived for nearly 700 years was decimated, and my grandfather rebuilt it with his own two hands. Together, they built their life. Five children, 12 grandchildren, and as of this writing, 9 great-grandchildren. They were married for 53 1/2 years. My grandmother still lives in the house my grandfather built.

I am incredibly proud to be theirs.

I've loved this portrait since I was a little girl. I can see my Dad, my aunts & uncles, my brothers & sisters, my nieces & nephews, and myself in their faces. A few years ago, my cousin was sweet enough to have a duplicate printed for me. This weekend, I finally (I mentioned before that I'm a procrastinator extraordinaire, didn't I?) went to Hobby Lobby in search of a frame that would do it justice. I didn't have any luck. And then I met Gordon. He helped me select the perfect mat and this gorgeous silver frame, and then did the most beautiful job framing it...it is so much more than I could have possibly hoped to do myself. When he came out of the back room with it, I got choked up...I really did.

Prachtig.

It's now the "some kind of something or other up on the wall." Isn't it something?

My reading nook isn't done by a long shot, but I couldn't have started it any better. Step 3...check! What do you think?

-Mrs. K

Baked Chili and Boston Brown Bread

2012-02-27T20:35:00.000-05:00

I don't know about where you live, but we have had the most ridiculously mild winter this year here in the Midwest. The unseasonably warm weather is nice, sure, but eating chili when it's above freezing just seems...wrong. Well, it was below freezing the other day, so I decided to make baked chili and some Boston brown bread. It was a first for both, and I was very pleased with how they both turned out. And, more importantly, so were Mr. K and MIL-K (my mother-in-law). The Boston brown bread is a sweet, dense bread ...almost cakey...and it complements the tang of the chili beautifully.

First up, the Boston Brown Bread:

Wicked awesome.

What You Need

1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I used "Better for Bread" flour...either is fine)

1/2 cup whole-wheat flour

1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup dark or light molasses (I used blackstrap molasses. I don't know if that's the same thing, but I've gotta work with what my small-town grocery store has available.)

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 tsp. salt

What You Do
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix the two flours, cornmeal mix, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

3. Pour in the molasses & buttermilk and mix it all up.

Seriously, how cool is this picture?! I love my iPhone.

4. Fold in the raisins. At this point, the consistency of the dough looks pretty disgusting. Trust me, though, the bread turns out awesome.

See? Gross.

5. Pour the dough into the greased loaf pan.

6. Bake until the center of the bread is firm to the touch, about 45-50 minutes.

7. Let the bread cool in the pan about 10 minutes, then remove and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

While the bread is baking and making your kitchen smell AMAZING, let's r-r-r-r-oll that beautiful bean footage with...

The Baked Chili

What You Need

1 can (15 oz.) light or dark kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1 can (15 oz.) black beans, drained & rinsed (I get the kind in the Mexican food aisle...they have chilis and spices added in for extra flavor)

1 can (15 oz.) baked beans (don't drain or rinse these!)

1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce

1/3 cup barbecue sauce

1 pound ground beef (as lean or mean as you like)

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. salt

What You Do

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Chop up the onion & mince the garlic.

So pretty!

3. Brown the beef, onion & garlic over medium-high heat, give or take 10 minutes.

4. Mix the beans, barbecue sauce, tomato sauce and salt together in a 3-quart casserole dish. (If yours is broken, like mine is, a 2 1/2 quart casserole will do...be warned, it might bubble over a little, but it'll work).

Somewhere, Jake Bush is drooling...

5. Drain the beef mixture and add to the beans in the casserole dish.

6. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake until bubbly, about 15 minutes.
7. Serve with Boston brown bread and enjoy! For extra yummies, sprinkle with cheddar cheese and add a dollop of sour cream. Mmm-mmm-good! (It's an homage, Campbell's, please don't sue me.)

Delish!

If you try any of my recipes, I'd love to hear what you think in the comments!

-Mrs. K

Linking up with...

IKEA, This Is Comfortable!

2012-02-20T21:05:00.000-05:00

You guys, I thought I knew what to expect at IKEA. Turns out, it was, like, a million times more than what I thought. More what? More space, more fun, more stuff, more people, more choices, more quality, more ideas. Just...more. Oh yeah, I liked it alright. I liked it a LOT, baby!

In case you've never been to IKEA, here are a few tips to make your experience a good one.

Go with a friend who's been there before. If you go with another rookie, you're going to be overwhelmed by all the More, and you'll end up lost and crying somewhere in the Geflårken Flögen section. And no one wants that, especially the Geflårken Flögen.
Stop at Tim Hortons and get a large coffee to bring in with you. This is the perfect prop to hide your scorn as you smirk at your fellow shoppers' purchases/children/outfits. And, if you're not a judgy brat like me & my friend J, well, at least you've got a delicious cup of hot coffee to accompany your shopping adventure.
Go to the bathroom when you get there. It's a big, BIG store. Trust me.
Bring your iPhone/Droid/Blackberry with you...something with a camera. During Phase I of the trip, you'll be exploring through model rooms & displays, and the camera makes it really easy to keep track of what you like. Then, during Phase II, which is the shopping part of the trip, you can reference the photos to find the items you'd like to purchase. If you don't have a smartphone, don't despair, just bring a small notebook & pen along. You'll thank me later.

I had two main objectives for this trip. A.) Check out the Ektorp chair to make sure it was, indeed, the chair I wanted for my living room. And B.) Check out the quality of the textiles, particularly the curtains, which is Step 1 in my front hall reading nook project. So, how'd I make out?

A.) Well, I did like the Ektorp. It was comfy, if a little closer to the ground than I initially thought. But, it wasn't wide enough to fit me and one of the K9's, and in our house, that's a deal-breaker. So, Ektorp won't be living in my living room, but he may still have a shot at being our reading chair in the hall...which isn't until Step 5, so I've got time to make a final decision. However, I did find my new chair friend. His name is Hovås. He's chunky and squishy and plenty wide enough (not quite a chair-and-a-half, but pretty close)...check him out:

Hi. I'm Hovås.

I'd seen this chair online and had dismissed it with a "Meh, nothing special." Which is why it's so important to go look at stuff in person. What you can't see in the web pic is that the fabric is a soft corduroy...very inviting and comfy. (You can see, though, that he's more expensive than Ektorp, but I think he's worth it.)

What you also can't see is that when you add a pretty pillow and a soft throw to it, he gets much more handsome. Oftentimes, the utilitarian-ness of IKEA's website doesn't do their products much justice. See what a difference setting the stage makes?

Doesn't this make you want to just curl up with a cup of tea & a good book?

B.) I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of the textiles. There were some really pretty tweed/linen-looking curtains that I think will work nicely in the reading nook. The texture is fantastic, and I think they'll drape very nicely...in other words, they won't look cheap. Even though they are! Oh, IKEA, you & I are going to be such good friends.

There was only one bad thing about my trip to IKEA, and that is this: I fell in love with this pillow, which means that I have to completely revamp the color scheme in my living room.

And I'm totally okay with that. I mean, come on, that is a CUTE pillow!

-Mrs. K

Easy-Peasy Black Beans 'n' Rice

2012-02-19T22:01:00.001-05:00

Sometimes there's just nothing better, especially on a chilly February evening, than homemade comfort food. Even more so when it's super easy, quick, and affordable. This family favorite only takes about 30 minutes to whip up, and costs all of about 7 bucks. Not too shabby.

My apologies in advance for the crappy pictures. There's only so much you can do with an iPhone, folks.

What You Need

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped (I like yellow onions as they're a bit sweeter, but red onions would work, too)

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cup uncooked white rice

1 can chicken broth (if you're a vegetarian or vegan, vegetable broth will work)

1 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp cayenne (ground red pepper)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

2 cans black beans, rinsed & drained

If you don't have fresh garlic or onions on hand, you can substitute garlic powder and dried minced onions in a pinch. Use 1/8 tsp powder per clove of garlic, so 1/4 tsp for this recipe. Soak 2 tbsp dried minced onions in 4 tbsp water for about 10 minutes to equal one medium onion. You can also mix things up by using 1 can of black beans and 1 can of sweet corn. This is one of those recipes that's really easy to personalize to your tastes or what you've got in your cupboards.

What You Do

1. Chop up the onion and mince the garlic. Prepare to have smelly hands for the rest of the week.

2. Heat the oil in a medium-sized pot over medium-high heat. On my piece-of-crap stove, that's a 6...adjust yours accordingly.

3. Dump the onions & garlic into the hot oil, and sauté until they're nice & translucent...give or take 5 minutes.

4. Add in the rice, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. This really brings out the flavor of the rice, and prevents it from getting all mushy.

5. Add the chicken broth, stir it up, and bring it to a boil. Your kitchen is starting to smell pretty good right about now.

6. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer for 20 minutes.

7. While you're waiting, drain & rinse the black beans. I like the water to run just about clear, because that goopy black bean liquid grosses me out. Mix the beans and spices together in a bowl and let stand.

8. Once your timer dings or beeps, check to be sure the rice has absorbed all the liquid, and fluff it all up with a fork.

9. Add the black bean mixture, and stir it all up. Let it cook over low heat for a few minutes...just long enough to heat up the beans.

10. Schlep this tasty goodness into a bowl. Add salt to taste if you'd like. A little spritz of fresh lime juice is yummy, too. I didn't have any in the fridge, so I left that out tonight. Still turned out delish.

Ok, this picture turned out pretty awesome.

Mangia! Mangia! Buon appetito!

Tune in tomorrow for a recap of my IKEA adventure...

-Mrs. K

I'm sharing this with the girls over at Funky Junk & Serenity Now! Two of my very favorite blogs...check 'em out!

Step by Step...Ooh, Baby!

2012-02-17T16:14:00.001-05:00

So, if procrastination was an Olympic event, I'd hold the gold medal in, like, 3 consecutive Olympiads. It's a quirk that plays hand-in-hand with my annoying perfectionist (read: nit-picky) ways and often leads to projects not only not getting done, but not even getting started, which is a real pain-in-the-ass when it comes to decorating and doing other little home improvement projects.

I can't look at a room and see just one thing that I could do to improve it. No, no. I see every little thing that needs to be done for the room to be, well, done, and it's just too much. Too much to handle, too much to do. I just don't even know where to start...so I don't. And then a year goes by, and I'm living in a house that still has bare walls.

But, since I've turned the corner and am growing as a person (yay!) just by finally starting this blog, I'm trying to apply the same Nike attitude to my home decorating and Just Do It Already. I'm taking Fraulein Maria's advice and starting at the very beginning, it's a very good place to start: My Front Hall.

Very potentially cute, right? My intent is to turn this unused space into a comfy little reading nook. Maybe a grown-up version of this?

Source: Houzz

(Guys, if you haven't discovered Houzz yet, you absolutely must go...but read this first!)

Anyhow, as you can see up there, there's one lonely bookcase and a beautiful doorway in need of some love and not much else. BORING. So, rather than look at that space and think "I've gotta scrape, sand & repaint the gloopy, gloppy door; then I've gotta fix the cheap "crown moulding" and the missing-in-spots crappy baseboard; ooh, and what I'd really like to do is rip down that drywall, fix the plaster underneath it, then repaint it; but what color should I paint it? maybe the same color? I probably could color-match it at Lowes; what kind of window coverings can I use to cover the sidelights?; oh, and I need a chair and a throw pillow and a throw (but not chenille, because the dogs snagged the last one to hell) and maybe a pretty area rug and a new bookcase and something something something blah blah blah KKSSHHHH PPKKHHHUU!!!" And the remains of my exploded brain continue to come up with more and more Things To Do To That Space...

Where was I?

Oh, right. I'm changing my ways.

I'm taking a cue from Sarah over at Cozy. Cottage. Cute. and numbering 5 things I want to do in that space. Then, I as I go, I'll check the five things off the list. When I'm finished with those 5 things, I'll add 5 more (because there will be more; there's always more).

So, here's my numbered picture...

And here's what the numbers represent...

Window coverings for the sidelights.
A table and lamp OR a table-lamp.
~~Some kind of something or other up on the wall.~~ Done!
Some kind of other or something up on the other wall.
A squishy, comfy, sink-right-in chair to curl up in with a good book. (Or, you know, my laptop.)

In my next couple of posts, I'll share some of my ideas for what I'm looking for in each of those spaces, as well as my adventures in not only finding what I'm looking for, but finding it at a price that I like, that Mr. K likes, and that our wallets like.

Have a great weekend, everybody!

-Mrs. K

p.s. My IKEA adventure is Sunday! Woo-hoo!

Linking up with...

Pottery Barn Look, Wal-Mart Budget

2012-02-16T11:44:00.003-05:00

When it comes to furniture, I have very expensive taste. Not Hollywood-level expensive, mind you, but definitely Midwest-level expensive. You know, places like Pottery Barn, Ballard Designs, Frontgate, and my beloved Restoration Hardware. Basically, if it was a set piece on Friends, I want it in my house.

The question, then, is how do I achieve the looks I really love on my meager little pittance of a budget? Not to mention that my small town isn't exactly the Mecca of high-end or high-quality stores. Don't get me wrong, I love Dollar General, but sometimes you've got to go out-of-town and splurge. The key is to splurge on big-ticket items, like furniture, and fill in the decor with less expensive items. Sure, the $50 throw pillow from Pottery Barn is pretty, but I can get a similar look from Big Lots for substantially less. Yes, Big Lots.

Sometimes, though, even the splurge items need to be budget-conscious, and that's where places like IKEA, Target, and my favorite, thrift & antique stores are your friends. You can find similar-looking items for much less money. If I'm looking to buy a chair that's going to be mostly for show, why would I ever pay $1000 for it? That's just silly. Now, a couch that gets plopped on every day by me, Mr. K, and our three dogs? That's the item you save up for and buy super-high quality.

So, I'm starting a little feature called "What I Wanted, What I Got" with the hope that I'll save a little money, get expensive-looking cute stuff, and give you some ideas, too. Up first, this little beauty from Pottery Barn:

What I Wanted:

Source: Pottery Barn

The PB Basic Armchair from Pottery Barn

Price: Starting at $799. That's the starting price, folks...oh, but it's on sale now for $639. That doesn't include the throw pillow. Or shipping. Or...ouch, my wallet hurts.

What I Got: (Ok, I technically haven't gotten it yet, but for the sake of blog content, let's pretend I have!)

Source: IKEA

The Ektorp Chair from IKEA

Price: Starting at $299. And the cover's machine washable? Awww, yeah. Very important feature when you have lots of dogs.

Now, will the quality of the IKEA chair be the same as the PB chair? Not even in the same league. But, what I'm going for is The Look for Less. (Isn't that a TV show?) And in that regard, these two chairs are practically identical, so yay!

Incidentally, I am going to IKEA this weekend with one of my favorite people...for the first time EVER. I'll be getting friendly with Mr. Ektorp up there, and maybe I'll even bring him home with me. I'm super-excited about it, obviously.

-Mrs. K

Post the First

2012-02-15T16:34:00.000-05:00

Starting a blog.

How do millions of people just up and do this every day? I've had this blog account for, I don't know, millenia...at least one, maybe two. And the poor thing's just been drifting aimlessly, waiting on me to get off my butt and write something, anything. Well, this is something.

What I hope this will be: a funny, creative, crafty, Becky Home-Ecky warehouse of domestic awesomeness. Like Cozy. Cottage. Cute. or Buckets of Burlap or Pretty Handy Girl.

What it will likely be: A disaster.

But, I will do my best to overcome my pathological perfectionism and just go with it. And maybe, just maybe, you'll get a few good recipes or home decor ideas from me. At the very least, maybe you'll get a few laughs...

-Mrs. K