Happy Easter

 

Happy Easter to each and every one.  Enjoy your holiday!!

Cabinet Facelift

I had a bit of leftover foam core, and wanted to give my glass front cabinet in the kitchen a little pick-me-up. So I measured the area between the shelves and cut the foam core to size...

 I cut the foam core with a straight knife and a yardstick.  Nothing major.

 

Here is a photo of the cabinet before:

 

 

 I used clear packing tape to adhere the fabric to the foam core.  The edges were raw, and it didn't matter because it is unseen...

They literally stayed in place without any issues!  I love how easy and inexpensive it was!  The whole project took less than an hour, and the fabric cost $4.50 for a yard and a half (it was on sale.)

Here is a photo of my bowls back inside the cabinet...the AFTER picture...

Enjoy your day!!

The BEST cake ever. And I hate cake.

If you know me, you know I'm not  a big cake fan.  In fact, I'm not sure if I've ever posted a photo or recipe of a cake in the last 7 years of doing this blog.  So you know if I'm giving a testimonial to this cake, it HAS to be good.

 

You can find the recipe here.  And man, is it GOOD...

 

Enjoy your day!

Hershey's Chewy Brownie Pie

Hershey's Chewy brownie pie
Ingredients
 6oz. Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme Chocolate Candy Bar
½ cup sugar
½ cup butter
1 cup flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
 Pinch of salt
7oz. sweetened condensed milk
  ¾ cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips

6oz. Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme Chocolate Candy Bar
 ½ cup sugar
 ½ cup butter
 Melt over med low heat until melted

Whisk in 2 lightly beaten eggs and ½ teaspoon vanilla

Add:
1 cup flour
 ½ teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
Stir until mixture is incorporated and smooth
Pour into greased 9" spring form pan. Bake at 350°, 20 minutes.  Remove from oven Immediately pour 7oz. sweetened condensed milk over top of brownies.  Layer with ¾ cup mini semi sweet chocolate chips. Let cool.

Cowboy Cookies

 

I heard about Laura Bush's famous Cowboy Cookies a while back, and made a mental note to try them.  When I saw it come up on my Pinterest feed, I knew I had to take the plunge...

 

And they were a hit.  Like, a HUGE hit.  I made a load of them for a basketball game, and they were gone in minutes, with several people asking for the recipe.  So here it is...

 

Recipe here.

 

Thank you, Mrs. Bush. 

Decorating with Clipboards

I decided to decorate my fireplace mantle using a few clipboards.  I was inspired by this idea on Pinterest.

 

I've been collecting them for some time, so there was no need to go out and find any.  I just used my Cricut to cut the black letters, and ledger paper to funk it up a bit...

I cut up an atlas that I purchased at the Dollar Store, and made this banner.  I'm still tweaking it--not finished yet.  But I'm happy with the direction it's headed...

 

Enjoy your weekend!!

Perfectly Charming

I've been busy making our house look less wintery, even though it snowed here in Ohio today.  March is always so hard on my head.  It is so grey and cold--not yet spring, and not winter either.  I refuse to give into the gloom!!  So I headed to my favorite store in Medina, called Perfectly Charming, and took a few pics (above.)  I bought a few goods and left inspired, as always.  Thinking of going back to get that awesome bill divider for fabrics, even though I have no idea where I'd put that thing...

 

Enjoy your day!

Double Cam

Thanks to Ali Edwards, I fell in love with DBL CAM, a cool app that takes a single photo using BOTH cameras in your iPhone. How cool is that?? A photo of what is in front of you, and a photo of what is behind, molded into a split photo for a cool picture. LOVE.

You can find out more info about this FREE app here.

Enjoy your day!!

My new "eat" sign.

 

I fell in LOVE with this rustic "EAT" sign once I laid eyes on it.  It arrived last week, and after careful thought, I hung it in the perfect spot in our home. I may mount it on a few rustic wooden boards in the near future, but for now, I LOVE it.  You can find it here on Etsy.  Wonderful customer service, and she does other words as well!!  You can see her full shop here (Rescuedjunk).

 

Enjoy your day!!

Meatball Tortellini Soup

 

I used this recipe, but instead of sausage, substituted mini meatballs (simply because it is what I had in my freezer) and tried another Pinterest recipe.  It was YUMMY!!  So easy to make, and I had everything on hand to whip up a delicious dinner for the family.  Love that it took less than an hour, and the leftovers tasted better the next day!!  You can find the original recipe here.

 

Here is my modified version:

Meatball Tortellini Soup

Yield: Serves 6   Prep Time: 10 minutes      Cook Time: 30 minutes   Total Time: 40 minutes

Hearty soup with meatballs, cheese tortellini, red peppers, and spinach.

Ingredients: 1 lb.  mini meatballs (frozen food section)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 red bell peppers, diced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
 2 (15 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 package frozen spinach, thawed and pat dry
2 cups cheese tortellini (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. In a large skillet, brown the mini meatballs until cooked through. This will take about 5-7 minutes on the stove top, or 1-2 minutes if you use the microwave.  Drain off the grease and place the meatballs on a plate lined with paper towels.

2. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the red peppers, and red pepper flakes. Cook until peppers are soft, about 3 minutes.

3. Stir in the broth, tomatoes, and spinach. Add the cheese tortellini and cook until tortellini is tender, 7-8 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the mini meatballs and heat until warm.

 

 

The West Side Market

Last Friday, our children had the day off from school. I took the opportunity to take them to the West Side Market in Cleveland. A little over a month ago, there was a fire inside the century old structure, putting many of the vendors there in a pinch. Their businesses took a major hit, and the reopening was rushed because of the financial hardship it posed to many of the independent businesses.

We waited a week or so, avoiding the crowds (or so we thought), and wanted to support them.

It's a beautiful place.  I have a personal fondness for it, knowing that it was where my great-grandparents shopped for groceries.  My grandparents and my parents also went there to purchase their weekly goods.  I remember going there in a wagon as a child with my mom.

We picked my husband up from his job downtown, and treated him to lunch, too.  The kids were so excited...

They don't make places like this anymore.  Family businesses that have been there for 40+ years, making homemade food that is passed down from generation to generation.

We came home with all sorts of goodies.  Meat, breads, cheese, fruits and veggies, cookies, popcorn...

Nice day out.  If you get a chance and you're local to this area, take some time out to visit and shop, won't you?  It really is an experience that won't soon be forgotten.

Enjoy your day!!

Bertram Inn Reminder

Just a friendly reminder that the early registration for people interested in attending the Fall Retreat at the Bertram Inn is due by March 22nd. If you are interested in mailing your payment, you can send it to: Trish Turay, 9291 Victoria Lane, N. Ridgeville, OH 44039. You can find out more information here. I look forward to seeing you all there!!
Enjoy your day!!

Current Obsessions.

1. Volleyball. Specifically, my daughter's JO team. Can't. Get. Enough.

 

2. Repainting and redecorating every room in this house. Well, except for the disaster that is my office. Tinkering with the idea of putting that on my to do list...

3. Downton Abbey. I know the season finale was a couple weeks ago. I'm not finished obsessing. It's THAT GOOD. I didn't see an episode before late December. Now, I'm HOOKED.

4. Wheat grass. Have you planted yours? Now is the time, people!! You've been alerted!!

5. Phillip Phillips' CD. On repeat around here for the past week or so. Great "paint the house" music.

6. "EAT" signs. Large, small, wooden, metal, you name it. Just ordered one and finally made a decision, because I was inspired by this. Wow. I so wish I had the space for that one. Couldn't swing it.

7. These candles from Target. Thanks, Jen.

8. I know Spring is only a couple weeks away. But I'm completely into hibernating right now. It is suiting my mood and I've been SO productive. Not ready to give that up just yet. Too many projects yet to complete...

9. Gearing up for St. Patrick's Day here. In Northeast Ohio, it's what we do. And in this family, we do it up big time. Erin Go Braugh!

10. The COLLECT app.  Perfect for Project Lifers.  Or those who are trying to keep up (like myself!).  Love that I can take a screen shot at the end of the month like this...

 

Enjoy your day!

 

Dr. Seuss Display

Given that March is Right to Read Month, along with Dr. Seuss' Birthday, I wanted to share a recent project I found on Pinterest and lifted...

The original project above can be found here on the Fancy Frugal Life blog.  She took tote bags purchased at the Dollar Spot and turned them into adorable canvases.  I happened to have those in my stash, so I bought 8x8 canvases at my local craft store, and went to work...

I plan on putting the finished canvases up at my son's elementary school.  SO FUN!!  Off to find the letters for "READ" now.  I'll post pics of my finished work when it's complete!

Enjoy your day!!

Mirror Re-Do

Quickie little weekend project that only took about an hour, costing about $8.00.  Started out with a mirror I have had hanging in our dining room for about 8 years.  I have been looking to freshen things up a bit around the house, and I knew I still liked the mirror, but I wanted it to look a bit different.

 

 I turned to Rub N Buff.  Man, I love this stuff.  A little goes a long way.  I first (using my index finger and a dry cloth) did a once-over on the frame using the pewter color because it was darker.  I then went over the highlighted area using the shinier, silver tone.  I love how it turned out.  Nothing drastic, but more in line with my decor now...

And at $4.00 each, you can't beat it!  Try using it on your frames or woodwork for your next project!

 

Enjoy your day!

 

Burlap Wreath

 

Here's what you'll need:  2 Rolls of 2.5" burlap (20 yards total), 2 bags of fern pins(50 count), and a 14" foam wreath form.  I purchased all of my products at my local craft store (Pat Catan's), but these are fairly easy to find. 

Next, wrap your styro form in burlap.  I did this in case I had a lapse in coverage, and to help the pins stay in place.

 

Next, I started making large "8" shapes, and pinning them in the middle.  I did this in a free-form manner, making sure to not leave any holes.  I used extra pins as I went if they were needed, and I had almost a full pack left over.

It goes fairly quickly.  The whole thing took about 30 minutes, tops.

 

I hid my hook, but you could easily use a loop to hang it in the back.

 

I was inspired by a store sample, and lifted the idea entirely.  They were charging $37 for this wreath, and I spent $14 on mine.  Not a bad DIY project!  With the finished burlap loops, the finished wreath ends up being closer to 18" large, and perfect for a front door, too!

 

Enjoy your day!!