A Shabby Shilling

The Green Monster Smoothie

2012-10-24T22:09:00.001-07:00

My kids seriously ask for this everyday, and sometimes multiple times. It is the breakfast, snack, and even drink of choice around here. We were introduced to this drink this past summer when we visited my parents up in Washington state. We named it the green monster smoothie so that my son would be more apt to drinking it. There are many variations of this drink, and I find myself sometimes altering what I put in as well

The kids love to help make it and guzzle is down within minutes. The little man always has seconds. I love it because I get lots of fruits and veggies down these kids all at once without a fight. Also, my son is more willing to try vegetables that he sees going into the smoothie. Awesome!

Ingredients:
1-2 cups water

1 pear cut up

1/4 of cucumber

2 handfulls of spinach

1 banana (best if frozen, if not just add ice for a better smoothie consistency)

1 large spoonful of orange juice concentrate

1 large spoonful of greek yogurt (I do this for the protein, it is fine without, and works with vanilla protein powder as well)

Other things you can try that my family enjoyed

watermelon (I picked a kinda gross one the other day, but it worked great in a smoothie)

kale

some honey if you like it extra sweet

Mix it all up and enjoy this green monster. You'll love it and so will your kids.

Ah-Mazing Sugar Cookies

2012-10-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

Cream together:
1½ cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups sugar
3 large eggs (add in one at a time and mix)
5 tsp. vanilla extract

Then add:
4½ cups all-purpose flour
4½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
2 tsp. cream of tartar

Mix well. Roll into flattened balls and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. I also heard a secret that if you put your dough in the fridge for an hour and then roll it out, you can use a cookie cutter and they make the cute shapes and don't get all deformed. Don't let the edges of the cookies brown.

Now the kiddies and I decided to just add sprinkles this go around, but butter cream frosting is the finishing touch on these bad boys that really make them taste like the store bought thing (you know, the ones that they have at the bakery that they make for every holiday. Those things are addicting, and warning... so are these)

A good recipe for the frosting if you want to add the finishing touch, whip up the following:
1 c butter
4-5 c powdered sugar
Milk (about 7 T, you may need a little more or less, depending on the consistency)
1 tsp vanilla
add in some food coloring if you want to make them festive
frost cooled cookies and sprinkle if desired

Ah-mazing! Enjoy your homemade sugar cookie!

Childhood Kitchen Set

2012-09-19T13:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided to go through our storage boxes in the garage and get them organized and figure out what to keep or get rid of. I had boxes and stuff strewn throughout the room. Amongst the stuff was my old kitchen play set. This baby was a nice pink, and it just needed some revamping. I changed the color too so that it will work with both boys and girls. I loved it as a little girl, and I also think my mom had it when she was a little girl too. I even have my old play food and dishes... like a whole pizza, a sandwhich, and little tea cups. These projects definitely brought back memories as I went through them. It is fun to have these toys from my childhood to pass down to my kids to enjoy.

When my parents were here for Christmas my mom showed me how to put the picture on the backing, and then my dad and mom put the frame together... I love how it turned out! And I finally hung it up this week. This picture and frame idea comes from Poppyseed Projects .

A Girl's Nursery: Vintage Sweet

2012-09-17T08:00:00.000-07:00

Now moving on to Gracie's room. I painted it green and we added this cute chandelier, which will hang above the crib when we put it in there. William is still using it right now though, but in about 3 months he will make the transition to his big boy bed... we didn't want him to feel put out at the same time that we brought Gracie home.

This is opposite the crib wall. You will recognize another Goodwill 50% off sale find in this dresser, which was sanded down and painted. It doubles as a changing table too, the pad is just not on it in this picture. We also have some little hooks for bows, which is so fun! I got this project done awhile ago, it has just been put all together in the past 3 weeks.

And this is the final project that we did to cover the half-moon window. We took some foam board and covered it with batting and fabric, and then hung it. It was such an easy project and works like a charm. I got the idea for that project here.

Before and After: Goodbye Orange Velvet Chair, Hello Pretty Young Thang

2012-09-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

My mom came to town for Gracie's birth and to help out. While she was here she worked on a few projects, and helped me to complete a few of my own. She is very talented and creative, and totally inspires me.

Let's take a look back at one of my Goodwill finds at the 50% off sale... Yes, that's right, the beautiful orange velvet chair that Luke was skeptical of it ever looking nice.

I tore that thing apart, sanded it down and painted it, and then my mom got her hands on it and did the rest... now it is beautiful, and updated. I love it!

I also love the fabric, which we found at a place that sells fabric by the pound... score! If you live in the Phoenix area it is SAS Fabric

Thrift Store Find(s)

2012-09-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

If you haven't figured this out yet, I shop at Goodwill, and the deals are amazing with their 50% off sales. Call me crazy, but I find good stuff there for a mere fraction of what it would cost me normally. And shopping there has made me even more frugal. If I go into a normal store i often balk at the prices. Call me cheap, but it isn't easy. It is definitely hit and miss, and many of the things I find requires some elbow grease (at least in the furniture department). So let me introduce you to two new finds, one will steal the show. I found another chair to go at the table. After I paint it, it will fit nicely, and for the price tag of $1.50, I couldn't be happier.

Now lets get a closer look at this orange velvet chair. Show stopper, right? Like my husband you may think this in a bad way. When I brought it home to Luke, I said don't worry, it will look pretty one day. He replied, "Honey, I don't think that thing will ever look pretty." Ha! We shall see. All I need is some time, paint, and some fabric and it will be fabulous. Trust me... and if you don't... to bad. What also makes this thing amazing is its $6 price tag. While I was waiting for the guy to take it to the back for me to pick up after shopping, I kid you not, 3 different people tried buying it too. See, I'm not the only crazy person.

I have already started the makeover process too, right now it is sitting naked on the back patio. So stay tuned, hopefully within the next couple of weeks I can show you my vision for it.

Refinishing a Table

2012-09-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the long awaited table. I have mentioned this piece a few times in my posts and it is finally done. I still have one more chair and a bench I want to add to it, but that will come in time. I love how it turned out. Obviously there are still many imperfections, dings, uneven paint in parts, and some weird looking distressing, but I don't care. I am happy with how it turned out. I am not a perfectionist by any means, when I want something done, I go and do it and live with the little mistakes, and learn for the next time. The table is a huge improvement from what it was. I got started on it one evening by using wood filler to fill in the border on the table top. It was a huge carved out line that got anything and everything stuck in it, and was totally not practical and kind of gross. So I filled it in and the next evening I had Luke help me move it to the back patio, where the magic takes place. After sanding it down I then brought the chairs out, sanded those and then got to work on painting them. After letting them dry for a day I distressed them and brought them inside. Happy day!

Tutorial to Come

DIY Refinishing a Dresser

2012-09-07T08:00:00.000-07:00

So we have a Goodwill about 5 minutes away that has a 50% off sale every other Saturday (I think all the Goodwill stores have this sale). I have taken up the habit of dropping in to look at what they have in an effort to furnish our house without dropping a ton of money. I love decorating, and re-purposing something to make it nice and new is fun for me. About a month ago I scored a table for $15! And I have slowly been collecting chairs for it (it will kind of be eclectic). I have yet to refinish the table... but this past Saturday I picked up this amazing dresser that I couldn't wait to get started on. It is solid wood and a hefty piece of material. When we brought it home the drawers wouldn't come out, so it was pretty heavy to move. Once we got it onto the back patio I started sanding away.

I finally figured out how to take the drawers out too, I had to take off the back and then unscrew the locks on them. Also, I found the missing handle after taking off the back, which means I don't need to buy new hardware- bonus! It was kind of annoying, but I just took the locks off so I can pull the drawers out anytime I please. Where you see the two doors, there are just 2 more drawers behind them. After sanding it down I painted it with leftover paint from painting the house- making it a really cheap dresser with just some elbow grease. I also spray painted the handles to make it look more modern, and feminine. After distressing the edges for that shabby chic look I was finished!

An Idea for Old Piano Sheet Music

2012-09-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have been seeing some pretty cute things done with old piano music, and I wanted to do something with it too. This is going to eventually be our music corner complete with a piano, so I thought it would be the perfect place to put it.

So, with a little bit of modge podge, a piece of cardboard, old piano sheets, and some distressing ink I made the plain music circles. I'm thinking of adding some letters or a quote on them. I used a hot glue gun for the flower and didn't use modge podge.

Homemade Bread: 100% of the Time, it's good every time

2012-09-03T09:00:00.000-07:00

I finally made a bread that my husband likes! I have tried for the past couple of years to make something worthy of his standards ;) among them is comparing my bread to my sister-in-law's, Caroline. Try as a might nothing would quite measure up. I tried a certain bread recipe for awhile, but to no avail, and when I switched over to another it still wasn't right... but then I had the idea to do something that I often do with recipes -improvise and combine- And since I already had the ingredients to both breads, I use it all. To some it may seem like quite a few of ingredients, but I find it makes more moist and flavorful bread.

So....... with a little bit of this, and a little bit of that, I made some bread that my husband enjoys. (and when I asked him how it compare's to Carolines he fortunately/unfortunately couldn't remember because sadly we no longer live close to each other).

8 1/2 cups- flour (white or wheat- I tend to do 2 white and the rest wheat)

2 cups- high gluten bread flour

1/2 cup- oatmeal (optional)

3 T- dough enhancer

1 T- salt

3 T- yeast

Mix these ingredients together in your Bosch, then add

1/2 cup- olive oil

1/2 cup- honey (do the honey after the oil because then it doesn't stick to the measuring cup)

3 T- soy liquid lecithin (I do both the oil and this because it makes for more moist bread, you can pick some up at a health foods store)

Turn on your Bosch and start mixing while adding 4-5 cups hot tap water, you don't want the dough to be too dry and you don't add any more flour. Let the dough knead for 10 minutes then use Pam spray on your hands and counter, pull it out and divide into four even pieces to make 4 loaves of bread or whatever else you want to make with it. Let the loaf rise for 10 minutes and then pop it in the oven. You can freeze the dough if you want, just spray the inside of a bag and put in the dough. When you pull it out to cook it make sure to put it in the fridge a day ahead of time and then let it sit out at least an hour before you cook it, as it will be doughy if you don't.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

The Boy's Nursery: A Minimalist Approach

2012-09-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

When my mom was here we worked on another project that I forgot to post on here. We decorated this little man's room

The cute crib with quilts made with love, by his Grandma Pam. The painting was done with love by me, and then I added a fun "W" to even it out.

Not only did we paint the room, but we also sanded down and painted the dresser blue. I love how it turned out, what makes it awesome is we got it for free from some friends.

Before and After: Refinishing a Bedroom Set

2012-08-30T08:30:00.000-07:00

So, I already showed you the buffet table, but I thought I would show it again so you could kind of see what it looked like before. You will notice that it is the only piece that we changed the handles on.

This is how the desk turned out. We kept the same handles on it, and didn't do anything to the chair.
Here is how the nightstand turned out

This is what all the finishes looked like before. It has a greenish finish. We spray painted all the furniture expect this piece and the head&foot- board. These pieces will eventurally be an antique white, and the room will be the same green you find on the accent wall in the kitchen, but for now they will stay like this.

Tutorials to come.

When My Mom Comes to Town, Beautiful Things Happen

2012-08-28T12:57:00.001-07:00

Explanation of Old Posts: I am changing things up and putting my home projects on one blog, and having my family blog in a separate location. There are a few posts that I am just transferring over to this blog, so the projects and updates are past posts.

This past week my mom came for a visit. She had planned on flying but then decided to drive two days to bring me my bedroom furniture (that also happened to be hers when she was a little girl), and also some other pieces, including my parents old living room couch. Yeah, my mom is crazy and wonderful...

Then to top it all off my mom worked her butt off while she was here painting.

William loved it! Not only did he get to play with new things, he totally loved his Nana time.

This is a before picture of the family room, to give you an idea of how bare bones it was.

A picture of my awesome mom, hard at work painting the ceilings. She is like the energizer bunny, she just kept going.

The new family room, all painted and decorated. I love the color, it is still growing on Luke. He told me he came to terms a long time ago that he would live in a rainbow house (after seeing my parents house and seeing my room, which I painted purple in high school- what can I say, my mom and I love color!)

Another angle of the family room with the couch my parents kindly gave us. Also, just a funny little tid bit, that chest was made by my mom's high school boyfriend.

The beautiful new kitchen colors.

And a look at another project we worked on... sanding and spray painting my old bedroom furniture. I love how it turned out. I will add another post later showing you the before and afters. This dresser had become my new buffet table. We weren't able to paint this room... the ceilings are way to high, and we were exhausted.

Thank you so much mom and dad for helping to make our house a home. I love you!

And next time you visit mom, no projects! ;)

Be Excited! Be Very Excited!

2011-04-29T15:24:00.000-07:00

So Mandi, over at Vintage Revivals, is doing something totally awesome! She is doing a room makeover for one of her readers! AHHHHHHHHHHH! So exciting. My home is in need of some tender lovin' care.
I have done a few little projects here and there since moving in last September, but nothing drastic that jumps out at you and says, "I am a stylish home, and I am loved!"

Mandi has been my inspiration for finding some thrift store finds on the cheap and putting in some elbow grease to make them pretty. It is totally the way to go to make something unique, and stay within a tight budget. I need extra help, though. My creativity and limited funds only can go so far... and I'm hoping Mandi will help a sista' out... cause I'm totally willing to own up and say... "I NEED YOU AND YOUR AWESOMENESS!"

Let me give you a quick rundown of what we would have to work with (so far)

I know, totally awesome chair, right!? Our Goodwill has a 50% off sale every other Saturday and I scored this beauty. While I was standing by it (protecting it) until they moved it to the back, no joke, 3 other people came up wanting to get it. Woot woot! Sorry ladies, I saw this baby's potential first. When I brought it home my husband said, "honey, I don't think you could ever make that think look good." I will prove him wrong yet... hopefully with the help of Mandi.

Next up is this couch, given to us by my parents. It totally does the job, comfortable, provides seating... but of course it needs some love and updating. The fabric is becoming threadbare... and the little flower baskets on it would be nice to *cough* cover up.

NOW FOR the ROOM...

Which happens to be the first thing you see when you walk in to the house. It is a huge room! And it is probably as long as it is tall, with second story windows adding lots of light.

Right now this thing is a blank canvas, void of practically any furniture, with pictures hanging up to maybe help it appear more homey? Right!? Okay, maybe not.

This is the wall opposite the main part of the room and kind of like the entryway hall thingy. It is such a giant wall and it definitely needs something more than my sorry attempt for a little collage wall. (One of the many reasons why I need Mandi's help.)

This is the wall opposite the entry wall, with the two story windows, which is kind of difficult for me to think of a way to decorate... anyways, this room is very long and is supposed to double as a dining/living room... obviously it is in some need of more furniture as well.

This is the wall opposite the entry door, or the "dining" area. Notice my attempt at an accent wall... yeah, I need help. (K- just noticed that the carpet looks kind of purpley in this picture... totally not the case in real life, it is a brownish tan, so very workable.

And the other side of the room... tons of wall... in need of design and love. HELP ME! I know the potential is there... and this giveaway would be just the thing to bring life into this room...

Mandi- P.S. I love your guts, and your style, and your creativity, and your innovation, and... your thrift shop glam, and your home... and... PLEASE. HELP. ME. -k thanks!