March: in like a lion!

March has gotten a slow start if you're going by my lack of blog posts. The truth is March came in like a lion in our household! Projects and celabrations are abundant this month leaving a plethora of activity pulling me away from blogging it all!

Last Saturday, I played hostess to the first of two March baby showers. I'll get photos posted of the Bun in the Oven themes shower yet this week! Congratulations again, Cory & Crystal Ford! In two weeks, I get to do it all again for Jeff and Amy Muller with a monkey theme! Can't wait!

Plus, after we finished the guest room featured last week, we moved all of our master bedroom furniture into other areas of the house to start on the much larger renovation project of the master. My husband has fallen in love with a sledge hammer and is taking down each and every wall in the room. It's the easiest way I've ever seen to get rid of wallpaper border! I'm hoping that it's done by my birthday in June. That would be a three-month project. . . he can do it. And, if he can't do it alone, he can definitely do it with a couple weekends worth of help from his dad. Have you seen these two in action? :) Wish us luck!

After: The Guest Room

This after was a long time coming. I was looking for bedding for this bedroom before we even moved into our house last July. This great woodwork was going to be a pain to paint so I wanted to match it. After quite the search, I hit the jackpot with a quilt that had a green that matched perfectly while still bringing in more color. That's exactly what I was looking for and the closeout pricing sealed the deal!The quilt, shams, valance, and the flower toss pillow you see were all purchased and shipped for under $100! 

The green woodwork had to becleaned up and repainted as there were scratches, nail holes, and even carpet glue that had to go. 2 coats of Diamond Vogel's Valley Vista did the trick. We switched to an eggshell finish as the flat that was on before held every finger print so you can imagine the greasy marks that were left behind from the past owner's pillows propped against the wall!

In this shot, you also see the use of metalware on the walls. $9 for the hanging candle holder and not much more for the scroll above the bed kept some natural elements on the newly painted "Bamboo Beach" walls. (Diamond Vogel paint is the best!) The nightstand shown was a hand me down from a college I used to work at that I saved before they threw it out. I'll get to the window box and the reading nook below.

On the opposite wall, we kept ne of my favorite furniture pieces in the house! This is Mike's first dresser/armoire from when he was a toddler. His dad bought it unfinished, stained, sealed, and added pulls to it. We haven't changed a thing!Top it with a tv I've owned for about 10 years, a $4 small finished log, some moss balls for about a quarter each, and the candle I got for Valentine's Day, and the simple look allows for storage and entertainment. For additional mood lighting, the 2 strings of Hobby Lobby light adorn the back wall using small 3M clear hooks along the bottom of the wood ledge so as not to be seen. It was a way for us to use the awkwardly placed outlet in the corner near the ceiling.

The left side of the bed features just one piece of decor. With little wall space to work with to avoid adding nail holes to the woodwork, this long piece combining the metalware and natural wood finish was just the ticket. Clearanced out at TJ Maxx, this was the first purchase specifically for the guest room. It sat on the ledge wrapped in plastic for nearly eight months until I took on the full project.

The reading nook is a special spot. The built in shelves will eventually hold some of our book collection but, for now, are used as picture display. The chair-you guessed it; another save from the the discard pile at the college. Free and workin' it!Its' a similar texture and color to the buttercup strip in the quilt tying it all together! Sitting in the chair is the matching valance to the bedding. However, to avoid too much matchy-matchy, I plan to make it into a throw pillow instead.

The "window box" has a special place in my heart. As the guest room is in the basement, this is an egress window. Thus, not much light gets in so I thought a valance would do it. When I opted out of the valance, I wanted something unique. I found it! While barely even looking, I came across this stick "piece of art"  (on sale for $13!) that was made to hang on the wall. Instead, I hung it upside down adding another natural element to block out the sun and add some interest. I love it! What's sitting on the shelf is actually a wall sconce. They were a housewarming gift and fit into the decor plan for the space but were too long for that small amount of wall I had from woodwork to ceiling. So, they got flipped on their side and surrounded with little knick knacks that were also received in gift baskets or laying around from the old house.

The end result is a comfortable space for friends and family to stay! Now, I can't wait to work on our own bedroom so we have as much to enjoy as our visitors!

Mock Thai Pasta

I was introduced to Thai food just before our local Thai place disappeared . . . of course. So, I wanted to try to replicate that amazing taste at home! What resulted is my Mock Thai Pasta Recipe that was fast and extremely cheap. An 8 oz package of crab meat can be found on sale for $2.50 and ramen noodles are 15 to 25 cents at most stores. If you have the rest of the ingredients in stock in your cupboard, you're feeding 4 people for pretty darn cheap!

2 packages Oriental Ramen

8 oz. imitation crab meat

1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

2 Tbsp Teriyaki Marinade

5 dashes of nutmeg

5 dashes of ginger

5 dashes of cumin

Make ramen noodles according to instructions.

In a skillet, heat olive oil and teriyaki marinade to sauté the meat. Crumble the crab meat into smaller pieces as you place it in the pan to heat thoroughly.

As the meat starts to absorb the brown color, add your seasonings and peanut butter. Continue to heat on medium until the peanut butter form a creamy paste. Continue to taste and add more seasonings as you deem necessary.

When straining the ramen noodles, leave about 1/3 cup of water in the bottom of the pan. Add the noodles and the oriental seasoning packets and stir to coat before adding the meat mixture.

Use a noodle scoop or tongs to mix the meat into the noodles as stirring alone won’t be effective in mixing the ingredients equally.

Notes:

This would be great served with a salad with fruit fixins.

Pupdate: Where do dogs come from?

I already know from the world of aunthood that parents anticipate the question, "Where do babies come from?". However, I am guessing that those who are blessed to be in a home like ours (where our future children will be the supposed siblings of our first two four-legged kids), they are also bound to ask, "Where do dogs come from?". I have my answer. It's very much the same as the answer to the first question too.

Dogs come from God. They come from shelters. They come from the store, the pet hospital, and the country roadside.They come from families who couldn't or wouldn't care for them. They come from people who brought them to earth on purpose and others who brought them here by accident. They come from the same miracle by which all of us do. They come to be loved, and wish to be part of a family.  They come ready to love, serve, and be loyal. They come from everywhere!

Dogs come from as many places as children do. Some become our pets by accident and some are intentional family members. Dog is God spelled backward. Do you think that's an accident? No matter where your dog comes from, I hope you make it home at your house with time for your friend and appreciation for all the good they have to offer (along with patience for their "quirks"). My dogs came from shelters. I have no idea how I got a matching set with adoptions a year apart. I rescued them and they show their appreciation with more love than I could have asked for. Love your dog and she'll return the favor. God will appreciate it too!

After: The Rocker

So, who doesn't love a good deal. .  , and a great garage sale find? When I first purchased this rocker & ottomon, my husband didn't see the great deal I saw, but this could be why:

BEFORE:

 At $45 for a hard-to-find double glider rocker, I knew we could rehab it. This fabric was also on the cushions that made their way out of our house so fast, I didn't get a picture. So, some wood polish, WD-40 and a trip to Pier 1 & Hobby Lobby fixed the rocker pretty quickly!

I found the chocolate colored settee bench cushion and two chair cushions you see below at the end of the season on a clearance sale. The price was still more than I would have loved to pay. I spent $80 to obtain all three pieces. I used the chair cushions as back cushions as you can see. They have ribbon pinned on each corner to tie around the chair's spindles once sewn on (below right).

I was also lucky enough to come upon a Craigslist listing for an ottoman. It was $20 and had blue fabric. I was shocked to see that the ottoman ended up the same wood finish and design as the rocker I had primped.  I found a similar fabric and pulled it tightly around the top of the existing cushion with a bit of batting placed underneath to form a smooth top despite the buttons that existed on the original upholstery of the ottoman. I stapled it to the underside of the wood top as you can see below.

 

This finished up my final project. It wasn't the cheapest transformation after purchasing cushions, fabric, and ribbon on top of the cost of the 2 furniture pieces. It ended up at about $150. However, it's a hard-to-find luxury that I hope to have great use for in the future. Plus, I can say I did it myself which seems to make spending a bit more money feel a bit better. 

The After:

 

MexiCAN! Recipes to Share

When Carlos Okelley's sounds like the best place in the world, but you're too cheap to go or too grubbed out to leave the house, never fear! Enchilladas are easier than you might think. Even easier: my Mexichicken Casserole. Here's the how-to on both!

Easy Chicken Enchilladas

Ingredients:
2 Large Chicken Breasts , cooked and shredded
(I take mine off a baby chicken cooked in the crock pot and save the dark meat for another recipe; you can buy it by the can if you're a big spender)
8 oz cream cheese, softened (reduced fat of course)
1/3 cup onion, chopped or more to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon chili powder (or other spice of your choice)
8-12 tortillas
1 can cream of chicken (reduced fat as well)
1 can green chile enchillada sauce

Instructions:

Saute your onion and garlic in a small pan and a touch of oil or butter. Combine chicken, onions, garlic, spice, and cream cheese to form a past. This is your filling.

Stuff each shell with about a 1/2 cup of filling and roll up to be placed in your 9x13 baking dish. Once all are stuffed and in place, combine the 2 canned ingredients and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes to heat thoroughly.

Serve with sour cream, salsa, jalepapenos and your other favorites!

Even easier:

Mexichicken Casserole

Ingredients:
1 Cup salsa (your choice)
1 can Mexicorn
1 boil-in-bag whole wheat rice
2 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2 10-oz cans cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 Cups tortilla chips, crushed

On stovetop, combine cream of chicken and mexicorn and salsa in frying pan to heat through and thouroughly mix ingredients. At the same time, boil your rice according to instructions. If your chicken is not already chopped and cooked, do this as well-full stovetop!

Then, combine all ingredients in a shallow baking dish and top with the crushed tortillas chips. Cook at 350 for 20-25 minutes. May add shredded cheese if desired.

Serve with sour cream and indulge in another one-dish wonder!

Valentine's Day: A Family Affair!

Every year, this holiday comes. Many let it pass unrecognized, some dread the day entirely, and others find it a great excuse to go over-the-top in proclaiming love for their special someone. This year, I celebrated the special someones in my life. While my husband and I double dated all weekend and opened each other's cards while laying in sweats the eveing prior to Valentine's Day, I also celebrated with family!

We always join over food so why would this day be any different? So, Miss Libby and I played chef while constructing heart-shaped pizzas for our lunch. A cookie-cutter obviously helped the project meet success. The scraps of dough, we rolled together to be the crust for the big pizza made in the heart-shaped pan seen below. We topped them with favorites (which involves pineapple in this family) and baked them to perfection! 

Voila!

To work off our lunch, we had plenty of activity time in the basement with Dance Central on the Xbox Kinect. Everyone took a turn except Uncle Mike who was too afraid we'd all show him up I'm sure. Libby took the camera to get shots from her 3 foot view.



Needless to say, we all had a blast. Taking breaks from dancing included making homemade Valentines and a timeout for angel food cake. By the time we were done celebrating each other, we were exhausted. I'm certain we all either napped that evening or went to bed early.

Happy Valentine's Day to all my friends and family! I hope you celebrate the love you have in your life and all the people (and four-legged companions) it comes from!