Friday, October 1, 2010

A Bathroom Transformation

8 months ago we started repainting our bathroom. FINALLY we are done! I hate painting... love how it turned out, but HATE painting. I still need to find some bath rugs and hang a couple things on the wall but I am very pleased with the results!

My inspiration for this bathroom came from none other than Melissa at 320 Sycamore (not surprising to you I am sure - she is my favorite blogger ever!). You can see her bathroom transformation HERE.

So here is the before: (please excuse the poor lighting - I took these pictures in the evening in January and it was getting dark...)



Lots of brown huh?
And here is the after:
I love how much brighter it is now!
Some of the details:
We used Rustoleum spray paint in Espresso for the cabinets.
Yes we spray painted and it was lovely. I HIGHLY recomend spray paint!
For the paneling and trim we used Behr paint in Cream Puff (Home Depot).
The walls are Smoke Infusion by Valspar (Lowe's).
The fixtures are all a satin nickel color.


We also spray painted the existing mirrors, which were a yucky gold color, with Rustoleum Espresso spray paint. What a difference a can of paint can make!

The new light fixture we found at Walmart for $30. I don't know if you have priced light fixtures lately, but that is a pretty darn good price...


My apothecary jar collection filled with soap, q-tips, cotton balls, bath pearls, etc. I think it makes the bathroom seem very spa-like now. Have I mentioned that I have a fetish for glass jars? Love me some pretty glass jars I can fill with anything and everything!

And there you have it! It took us 8 months to finally decide on paint colors and finish up painting. I am SO very glad it is over!
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? I would love to hear your feedback...:)

Thursday, September 30, 2010

A Few Recipes I Owe You

I have had several people asking me for two recipes from my Football Food post, The Pepperoni Pizza Twist and the Snickerdoodle Cupcakes. Here they are - Enjoy!

Pepperoni Pizza Twist
From The Pampered Chef All the Best Cookbook

1 package (3.5 ounces) pepperoni slices, diced
1 can (3.25 ounces) pitted ripe olives, drained and chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons flour
2 pressed garlic clove
2 packages (11 ounces) refrigerated French bread dough
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tsp. Pampered Chef Italian Seasoning Mix
(you can sub regular Italian Seasoning but it is not as good!)
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
jar of pizza sauce, warmed

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, combine pepperoni, olives, cheese, parsley, flour, and garlic; mix well. Place bread dough, seam sides up, on a cutting board. Slice each loaf lengthwise, end to end, cutting halfway through to the center of the loaf; spread open flat. Using the Baker's Roller, roll dough crosswise to a 4-inch width, creating a well down the center of each loaf. Spoon half of the pepperoni mixture down center of each loaf. Gather up edges over filling, pinching firmly to seal. Place loaves, seem sides down, in an 'X' pattern on the Rectangle Baking Stone. Crisscross ends of dought to form a large figure '8,' keeping ends of dough 1 inch from the edge of the stone and leaving two 1 - 1/2 inch openings in the center of the twist. Combine egg white and seasoning mix; lightly brush over dough. Cut a 3-inch slit in each of the top sections of the twist to reveal filling. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the loaf. Bake 30-32 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes. Serve sliced with pizza sauce for dipping.

(Making the twist is kind of tricky to understand via written directions. It is easier to see when done in person at a Pampered Chef party, which is where I usually teach people to make it.)

Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream
1 - 1/2 cups cake flour
1 - 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon, plus 1/2 teaspoon for dusting
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 - 3/4 cup sugar, plus 2 Tablespoons for dusting
4 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 - 1/4 cups milk
For the cinnamon buttercream:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt (I feel this could be omitted...)
16 oz. powdered sugar
4 Tablespoons milk
Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins with paper liners. Sift together the flours, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. With an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two additions of milk, and beating until combined after each. Divide batter evenly among lined cups. Bake about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
To make the buttercream - combine all ingredients, adding more powdered sugar or milk to get the right consistency. Pipe frosting on cupcakes. Combine 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 2 tablespoons sugar. Using a small, fine sieve, dust peaks with cinnamon-sugar. Store at room temperature. Makes 24 large cupcakes.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Frugal Finds, Fall Goodness, and Other Things

This is kind of a catch-all post of several things that have been swirling around in my brain to share with you.

The first order of business - Frugal Finds

I didn't make it out garage saleing this week but I wanted to show you my finds from last week:

Popcorn popper - $2
(I have plans to make some of THIS soon...yummy!)
Lamp - $1
(I really just bought this for the lampshade)
chunky frame - 50 cents
green vase - 25 cents
5 decorative, classic books - 50 cents each ($2.50)
mug tree - 50 cents
(I love spray painting these and using them to hang jewelry on.)
Grand Total: $6.75
My favorite find was the books. I couldn't resist them when I saw "Gone With the Wind." Just classic. And it makes you look scholarly to have fancy books on your bookshelf ;) .
The next order of business - some fall goodness

I recently put together this little fall display and thought I would share a few tips with you:
Tip #1 - Use things from nature to bring a little fall into your decor. The small pumpkins add some color to the display. You can find them at your local grocery store for cheap. I used acorns that have been falling from a tree in our front yard (the driveway has literally been COVERED with them!) around the candle in my hurricane candelholder. They add a little texture and were absolutely free!
Tip #2 - Pull out fun fall pictures from years past and add them to inexpensive picture frames. I always like to get pictures of Spencer in a pumpkin patch, picking apples at the apple orchard, or sitting in a pile of leaves each year. I just went through his photo album and picked out a few colorful fall pictures that make me smile. Simple, inexpensive, and a great way to remember past fall experiences.
In other news:
Have you joined Home Depot's Garden Club yet, like I suggested HERE? I just received another coupon for mums in my email this weekend. And Home Depot had their mums on sale this week for $2.25. With the buy 2 get 1 free coupon, I got 3 - 6" mums for $4.50. What a great way to add fall color to your porch or brighten a friend's day on a budget!
Stay tuned - I have some fun things in store for you this week! I hope to show you the final fall touches on my front porch, the finale of my 6 month long bathroom redo, and some more Halloween decor...and I may throw in a recipe or two!

Friday, September 24, 2010

The Queen of Halloween

I love Halloween. I know that I have said that before. But really, I LUV Halloween. I am not sure what it is about Halloween that speaks to my heart but I have found someone that shares equally in my devotion to this holiday. We must be kindred spirits.

My good friend, Elizabeth, was kind enough to let me take pictures of some of her Halloween decorations. I had to find a way to get my Halloween decoration fix this year since all of my acquired decorations are packed away in my storage unit (and who knows how long it will be before I see them again... sigh.).

One of my favorite things about Elizabeth's Halloween decor is that is all grouped by "collection." Pumpkins have their own table, witches have their own table, cats have their own space... and so forth. I don't know why it has not occured to me to decorate for Halloween in this way? It makes such an impact to have groupings like that. I love it.

So without further commentary from me...enjoy the fabulousness that is Elizabeth's Halloween House! And thanks to Elizabeth for letting me photograph her house - she is amazing!

The living room located to the left as you enter the front door.

(Ok just one thing to say - do you notice the witch legs poking out from the piano? LUV LUV LUV that!)


The pumpkin collection on the entryway table

The Cat Collection

Family room



Isn't her family room so cozy?




Lovin' the EEK! pillows...

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Halloween Vignette

I am joining my first blog party today!
And what better party to join than Melissa's @ 320 Sycamore, my favorite blogger ever!
Go check out some of the other great projects...
I am a Halloween lover. To the extreme. Some people only do fall. I try to have some fall decorations up at the beginning of the season, but inevitably Halloween begins to creep in little by little. I can't deny my love for Halloween any longer...
So here is my newest Halloween vignette:

Put together with things I had on hand or items from Dollar Tree.

(Please excuse the horrible lighting in the pictures. It is rainy and overcast here today and I don't have the benefit of any natural light.)

This witch sillouhette comes from a new blog Melissa introduced me to -
The Pink Peony of Le Jardin. You can check out her version HERE.

Lovin' the Shakespeare quote...
I just typed it in Microsoft Word and added a little clip art witch's hat. Then I cut it out and put it in a frame I already had. So easy and I think it was a nice finishing touch.


Notice the plastic fly taped to the cloche?
Love it. It just adds to the spook factor.

So here is the breakdown:

The witch silouhette was made using things I had on hand.
I also had the silver platter (Goodwill), black candleholder (Savers, spray painted black), Alfred Hitchcock book underneath the skull (Goodwill), small black frame, and cloche (Hobby Lobby).
Things I purchased from Dollar Tree to pull the display together:
black, tattered cloth covering the bookcase - $1
glittery skull - $1
candleholder underneath the skull - $1
black crow - $1
plastic, orange and black spiders, snakes, and bugs - $1
orange pillar candle (purchased at a garage sale last weekend) - 50 cents
I wrapped the candle with scrapbook paper and ribbon I already had on hand

Grand total = $5.50 + tax

Definitely Under $10 and put together in under 1 hour.
Happy Halloween!

You could still pull off this look on the cheap,
even if you didn't have some of the things I had on hand.

Dollar Tree has silver platters for $1

a glass vase from Dollar Tree for $1,
like the one I used to make hurricane candleholders
could serve as a cloche over the skull

Also, the Dollar Tree hurricanes could replace the candleholder
I used in the display for $2.

Dollar tree has a large assortment of picture frames you could use to hold a spooky Halloween quote - $1

Your total with these items added would be right at $10.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Pumpkin Update...and a Recipe!

Well my pumpkin woes have been for nothing...United Supermarkets has canned pumpkin on the shelves today. My brother-in-law, the one who told me he wasn't even sure his store would be getting some, texted me this morning to inform me that United has indeed received pumpkin. After I just spent $26 to have organic pumpkin shipped to my door... :) I even bought 4 more cans at the store tonight.

What a great lesson in the value of having food storage this "pumpkin scare" has been for me! The church that I belong to, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, continually counsels us as members to build up a supply of food - a years worth if possible. Even for small shortages like pumpkin, if you have your supply built up, there is no need to worry. I now know what will be a staple in my food storage... ;)

With all that being said...I will leave you with a new pumpkin recipe! (The one that drained the last of my pumpkin supply) Some of you may need it after spending $26 on canned pumpkin...

If you love bagels with cream cheese, and of course pumpkin, you will love this recipe! It comes from a new food blog I found, One Ordinary Day.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. vanilla

Beat all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Makes 1-1/2 cups. Letting it sit for as long as you can before using it really blends the flavors and makes for a more tasty cream cheese. Enjoy with your favorite bagels!

Monday, September 20, 2010

My Pumpkin Woes...

Have you checked the grocery stores for canned pumpkin lately? You won't find it here in Lubbock, Texas. Apparently last years pumpkin shortage is now affecting this year.

When I heard pumpkin was going to be scarce last year, I stocked up on some extra cans. Just a few days ago I used my last stockpiled can. When I discovered there was no pumpkin to be found this year, I panicked :). I expect to have pumpkin starting in September to make pumpkin bars, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cream cheese, pumpkin cookies, not to mention pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. Pumpkin is a must have for my fall desserts. My brother-in-law, who works as a manager at a local grocery store here told me that his stores may not even get any pumpkin in before the holidays! He said they might, but he couldn't be sure.

Now I know that there are those of you who would say, "why don't you just make your own canned pumpkin?" I have heard it isn't THAT hard to do. But I am just not ready to put forth that kind of effort - yet. So I searched for canned pumpkin on Amazon.com, and found that Libby's brand pumpkin was being sold by a company with a price tag of...get ready for it...$90 for 12 cans!!! Can you imagine paying that much? I was shocked. Then I managed to find an organic brand of canned pumpkin which was being sold by Amazon for $26.62 for 12 cans. I was more willing to pay that price, especially since it ships for free. My mom and I decided to split the cost of 12 cans. I am already worried that 6 cans won't be enough to get me through the season ;).

If you are a pumpkin lover like me and your grocery store is just not deliverin' the goods, you may want to consider ordering online. You could always go in with a friend and split the cost. I just feel it is my duty to make everyone aware that the traditional pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving may not be a reality this year unless you take more drastic measures :). If you are interested in ordering the organic pumpkin you can do so HERE.

Happy pumpkin season!