VANITY AND CHAIR || before + after

You know how there are certain things you think will just never happen to you?  For no reason, other than you just don't think they will happen.  Well, my computer crashed last week and of course the only thing I ever backed up was Quickbooks (which is good since I would be in a deep state of depression if I had to muddle my way through re-entering accounting for our personal and two business accounts....ugg.) Anyways, I am slowly getting applications re-installed on my computer and now have a fancy-smacny external hard drive attached at all times.  Lesson learned!

I had some great before + after photos of this darling vanity and chair.  Of course I lost all of those photos and haven't yet re-installed my photo editing program.  But, I still thought I would show a few 'after photos'!

I picked up this darling vanity and chair at a garage sale a few weeks ago.  It was orange and had 

I picked this darling duo at a garage sale a few weeks ago.  It was orange, brown and white.

I used OLD WHITE {Chalk Paint®} for the vanity with one coat of CLEAR WAX. I sanded the edges lightly because this piece had A LOT of paint layers.  I wanted to add to the history of the piece, not make is look like it was brand new.

I used LUCKETT'S GREEN {MMS MILK PAINT} without the bonding agent.  I sanded the edges and applied a CLEAR WAX.

I sell fun knobs at the studio.  I snagged this darling white flower knob for a bit of a feminine touch.  Right now this cutie sits in my bedroom.  I am not sure if it will stay there, but it's the perfect spot to keep my planner and journal.

In other news, I thought I would show a few photos of the basement progress.....

Matt is busy modifying the cabinet so it can house the TV.  He moved windows and doors so we are changing the layout a bit.  He is going to re-purpose the mantel {taken from a job years ago} and then paint all of the cabinet and woodwork white....

It's a bit of a mess, to say the least, but we are almost ready to start cleaning up and prepping for paint {walls,ceiling and cabinetry}.  Yahoo!

The play room is right off of the great room.  I am getting ready to paint the walls and then remove the flooring.  Addilyn already loves cozy-ing up in their soon to be book nook.  Love that girl!  And so fun to create a room just for the girls!  I can't wait to start getting some work done in there!

OK, I am off to work on my computer a bit more, super fun.

xoxo~Darci

BEFORE + AFTER || a few more 'AFTERS'

Matt is doing some work at a home he remodeled two years ago.  We never snapped pictures of the completed project with the landscaping in place.  I asked him to snap a few yesterday and I thought I would share them.

This is what the home looked like when the owners contacted us.  They brought the property for the amazing views and the established vineyard.  When they talked to us, their intention was to demolish the existing house and build brand new.  Matt explained how they could still get the house of their dreams while saving the existing home (and saving money on permits, septic, etc).

When we worked up the design for this home, there were several factors that had to be considered.  I won't bore you with those details!  But, the homeowners wanted a MODERN home with a NORTHWEST/LODGE vibe.    And, they homeowners were, and still are, the best people ever!  They are so kind and were so fun to work with!!

Now the home completely functions for them and their growing family (and business).  It blends into hills and trees, yet still has some personality.

This is the new front door and entry.  Looks a little different, right?

The back side of the home has more of a MODERN look and captures the AMAZING valley and vineyard views.  They are just getting ready to add stone to the bottom level of concrete and that will look really sharp.

One of these days I will post photos of the interior!

In the mean time, enjoy your week!  I am hoping to wrap up a lot of 'half finished' projects, both for myself and for clients.  I should have a lot of 'AFTER' photos to bomb you with in the next few weeks ;-)

KID'S PLAYROOM || my list of necessities

Last weekend,  Matt passed the 'point of no return' with our home remodel.  He started moving windows and doors, pulling down drywall and lighting and more.  It's definitely a series of 'one thing leads to another'.  I feel like we continue to change our mind the longer we live here!  We always recommend clients live in their space for a while before we start designing and remodeling.  It's really hard to take my own advice, but I really believe it pays off!

One of the bigger projects on my summer TO-DO list, is to turn this room in the basement into a kid's playroom.  It's a long space and it's perfect for a playroom.  It's tucked away from the rest of the living space, which translates in YOU DON"T SEE THE MESS ALL OF THE TIME.

The only 'big' things we will be doing in this room, are painting and new flooring.  For flooring, we still haven't decided on carpet or vinyl/marmolium.  I continue to agonize.  I have such sympathy when I am helping clients in their home, it can be so hard to decide on a material/paint color/layout/etc.!  We all want to make the right choice the first time.  Right?  Definitely don't want to waste time and money re-doing something!  Uggg.

So, before I get my paint brush out, I am working on a list of play room necessities.  Creative areas that I think are necessary for our play room.  I want to inspire my girls to be creative and imaginative.  A space where kids can go play and I don't worry about safety or messes.  I guess that's what we all want in a playroom!

I found this GREAT blog post on how to set up a playroom.  It's written by a teacher and has super tips and ideas!

I am loving the bright colors in this room!  Doesn't it just make you happy?  I am definitely going for bright colors and a good dash of whimsey in our playroom!

Love this darling sign.  I am finding some great art work to order from Etsy.  Sometimes it's just better to order things instead of trying to make everything ;-)  Says the girl who has a hard time taking her own advice…..

Of course I love the chalkboard wall in this room!  As well as every other detail.  Can you believe those polka-dots on the ceiling?  I am about to break out in hives just thinking about painting polka-dots on the ceiling, but they sure are darling!

Love the maps and definitely want to add those to the wall (Etsy).

Who doesn't love all of the fun subway style signs?!?

We have a perfect closet to create a fun reading nook.  I think that is one of the things I am most excited about for this space!  I will probably kick the girls out and cozy up in there by myself.

I just love walls with books.  Both girls love to be read to, and look at books.  I definitely want to cultivate that love for reading.  A wall and/or book nook sure seems like a great way to do that ;-)

Another combination of my two favorite things….chalkboards and books!

Look at this great idea for a coffee table top.  How great is that?

And I will stop here, I could go on and on.  Don't you just love the bright colors in this room?  So fun!

I promise to post pictures as I progress.  It will probably take all summer as I am busy with clients, Chalk Paint® customers and my own sweet family.  But, it's a space I am really excited to tackle, hopefully just in time for the change in weather that comes with Autumn!

All of these pictures are from my Pinterest page 'Kid's Playroom'.

PAINTING FLOWER POTS

The sun started to make a more regular appearance a few weeks ago.  It was just the inspiration I needed to start sprucing up the outside of our home!  We have a lot of projects for this summer so I didn't want to rush out and buy new flower pots when I don't yet have an overall plan together.  So, I thought I would rummage through what I already have and just make some improvements ;-)  I have painted flower pots with Chalk Paint® before.  It's such an  easy way to spruce up an old pot!

First, I cleaned my pots and set them up outside to start painting.

I used COCO.  My pots already had some texture, so I was going for a concrete/stone look.  After two coats, I realized they looked to 'clean and even', I wanted the pots to look a little aged…..like me ;-)

I started with making a wash with the GRAPHITE (adding water to the paint to thin it a bit) but I didn't like that look so I repainted the section with COCO.

I ended up making a wash with OLD WHITE and I like the results much better.  I dipped the paint brush is the paint, them into a bowl of clean water.  There are a couple of different approaches when it comes to color washing, but this approach worked great for what I was doing!

Now all of the pots look a little better grouped together and it only cost me an afternoon and a small amount of paint!

I don't wax any of my outside pots.  Just paint, plant and set them out.  All of my painted pots (I have painted my flower pots for the last two years) have held up perfectly!

Now you know what to do with all of those mis-matched flower pots you have laying around!

With the weather being sooooo perfect (sunny and 70's) we have been spending a lot of time outside.

The girls love exploring and helping me outside.

We have this amazing (huge) front yard.  Hopefully in a few years we will fence part of it and add sheep and goats to our little family.  I am pulling for a few goats now, but I can't quite convince Matt of how great they will be.  Hmmmmm.

Oh and there is a lot of 'this' that happens outside after the big guy gets home from work.

Melts my heart to have such a sweet guy who loves his three girls so fiercely!

Have a great day friends…...and enjoy the sunshine!!!

HAND MADE CHALK BOARDS

I bet most ladies love chalk boards as much as I do!

They are so fun and come in every shape, size and color.  Perfect for menus, quotes, directions….anything looks a little sweeter when written on a chalk board.  I love to make chalk boards!  If you haven't made one, here are a couple of easy tips to make your own chalkboard….on virtually any surface!

I usually use cabinet doors for my chalkboards (mostly because we always have a few extra lying around).  But, I have seen some darling chalkboards made on serving trays, platters, windows, walls and more.  Just use what you have (or find at Goodwill)!

I usually have 1-2 quarts of chalkboard paint on hand.  You never know when the inspiration might strike ;-)  I typically paint the frame of the cabinet door.  I use Chalk Paint® and wax.  It's super easy and I know it will cover beautifully.  I sand whatever I am painting, and then give it a good wipe down.  You don't want any dust in your paint!

After I have painted the frame, I tape the edges.  It's so hard to get a straight line without taping.  It usually takes 2-3 coats of the chalkboard paint.  Each brand of chalkboard paint has their specific directions, the brand I had requires 4 hours dry time before re-coating.

Once the chalkboard paint is completely dry, you will need to prime the chalkboard.  Rub the chalk in both directions to completely cover the chalkboard surface.  This ensures that the writing will not stay imprinted into the chalkboard.  Here is a picture of when I primed Savanna's chalkboard wall.

I have a lot of chalk boards scattered through out the house, and a few for sale at every event. I am out of 'extra' cabinet doors so I am going to have to start getting creative!  This one is for a customer's granddaughter's room….so fun for a little girl to have her own little space to create!

Have a great week!!

BOSTOM CREAM PIE CUTIES || mine aren't so 'cute' but they taste really good

Last Friday night we came home from a friend's house to find a little plate of these Boston Cream Pie Cuties at our front door.  My mom had made some for a friend and dropped a few extra by.  Would you believe that my tummy was still quite full from dinner AND dessert and I managed to have two of these cuties??  They are so good!

I made a batch a few days ago and that was a bad decision!  Mine don't look nearly as cute as my mom's did, but these little cuties taste soooo good!  Hopefully you have better self control than I do ;-)  Either way, here is the recipe!

INGREDIENTS

1 pkg.  (2-layer size) yellow cake mix

1 pkg.  (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup  cold milk

1-1/2 cups  thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided

1 pkg.  (4 oz.) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate

DIRECTIONS

HEAT oven to 350ºF.

PREPARE cake batter and bake as directed on package for 20 cupcakes. Cool completely.

BEAT pudding mix and milk with whisk 2 min. Let stand 5 min. Meanwhile, use serrated knife to cut cupcakes horizontally in half. Whisk 1/2 cup COOL WHIP into pudding; spoon onto bottom halves of cupcakes, using about 1 Tbsp. for each. Cover with cupcake tops.

MICROWAVE remaining COOL WHIP and chocolate in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until blended. Let stand 15 min.; spread onto cupcakes. Refrigerate 15 min.

TIPS::

ONLY MAKE 20 CUPCAKES (instead of 24)

HOW TO CUT CUPCAKES IN HALF~Use a serrated knife to easily cut the cupcakes in half.

SPECIAL EXTRA~Serve frosted cupcakes in colorful paper muffin cups.

Enjoy!!!

A LIVING ROOM UPDATE

I thought I would post a few photos of the living room.  It's slowly coming together and I am loving everything about it!!

Our living room furniture arrived a few weeks ago.  I still have  A LOT I want to do in this room.  I am amazed how fast time flies!  Kiddos and moving seem to make me realize it even more. :0) When I would tell someone that we moved 2, 3 and now almost 4 months ago, I realize how time is gone in the blink of an eye!!  And it doesn't seem like we have done much to our new space….the to-do list is long and we better get cracking!  With little people in our lives, we spend a lot more time playing and adventuring than just working on the house {like we use to}.  But, I wouldn't have it any other way!

This was the living room when we moved in.  Clean, and great natural light.

I painted the walls a soft gray, and added blue and green floral curtains and the room looked quite different with just those changes.  The bay window had an great upholstered cushion, however, the fabric didn't go with my new color scheme.  I knew I couldn't sew one, so I tried painting it with Chalk Paint!  It took three coats, but it covered beautifully! It isn't soft, I would compare the feel to that of an outdoor furniture cushion. But it doesn't crack when you sit on it and it serves is purpose beautifully!

I am in love with the new sofa and chairs.  The cushions are down and super comfy, and the fabric is a soft linen color with a subtle herringbone pattern.  It has enough pattern that I don't worry about noticing every bit of dirt, but it's still light and keeps the room feeling lighter.

Remember our beautiful cherry mantel?  Matt really loved it but it was just a bit too dark for me.  While he was gone at work one day, I painted it with Chalk Paint®.  That's one of the beauties of Chalk Paint®…..I painted 3 coats of paint and waxed it in one day.  I didn't need to prime or prep the existing wood…..I love this stuff!!  I painted the mantle COUNTRY GREY, a soft grey with a bit of green.

Matt wants to replace the stone and I want to add some art work above the mantel, we will see when that happens!

I bought two matching oak tables from this little hole-in-the-wall space.  They were in great shape, but very dated with a yellowed varnish- very 80's oak.  I wanted more of a chocolate brown color to compliment the oak floor.  I used MMSP MILK PAINT to act as a wash/stain.  I sill wanted the wood to show, I just didn't want to go through the hassle of stripping, sanding and refinishing the oak tables.  I used the color CURIO.  I applied one coat and sealed it with furniture wax.  It was done in less that one hour….love that!

And we still have A LOT of work to do in the house!  This is the view into the dining room and kitchen.  You can see all the way through that we have all of our new interior doors stacked in the kitchen.  Matt needs a place to spray all of them, so they just wait.  We both really enjoy having projects. but there comes that time with every project that you just want to be done!  We haven't reached that point yet, hopefully we are a lot further along before we do ;-)

Enjoy the sunshine friends!!!!

SPRING FLING EVENT is postponed……until summer ;-)

We are postponing the Spring Fling Event.  So sorry ladies, but I just had too many un-planned things come up.  I plan on having a summer event and the Queen Bee girls and I are already planning another Fall event!!

I will be back in tomorrow with a Boston Cream Pie Cutie recipe….you won't believe how good these little treats are!!!

THE GARDEN IS PLANTED || and some garden fresh recipes

The weather has been gorgeous for the last 4-5 days!  Oh it makes me super excited for summer!!  On Mother's Day, my sweet hubby and girls treated me to a trip to the garden center {Kreamers-for you local ladies.  They are soooo helpful and knowledgable and the girls love it there because of the fish.}  And after a day of being spoiled, Matt spent all afternoon roto-tilling the garden for me….such a gem!

At our old house, I had an entire raised bed full of strawberries.  We will miss those this year!  But, my mom gave me a box of strawberry starts and I got those planted a few weeks ago.

The terraced and fence garden {that was already built when we bought the property} is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G.  And, it has automatic sparklers!  For 11 summers of my married life, I have hand watered my gardens.  This little gardener was doing the happy dance the first morning the sprinklers turned on-by themselves-while I was still sleeping!

I planted most of our favorite summer fruits and vegetables.  Below I will link to some of my favorite 'garden fresh' recipes.

Last summer, Matt welded together these great tomato cages.  He used rebar so they are super sturdy, and I love the way they look.

And, as soon as you walk out of the garden, you see this.  I am trying to tackle the blackberries.  I never understood how crazy blackberries were until I have now clipped and sprayed them, only to see them still grow back in a matter of weeks!  Next summer we are getting some goats for sure!

And then there is this view from the garden as well.  Pretty awesome, right?

Here are a few of my favorite summer salads and veggie dishes….

BLACKBERRY & ARUGULA SALAD

TOMATO & AVOCADO SALAD

CABBAGE & MANGO SLAW

FRESH CORN & TOMATO SALSA

FRESH CUCUMBER & TOMATO SALSA

GRILLED GARLIC & ZUCCHINI

STUFFED TOMATOES

GREEN BEANS & ALMONDS

All the recipes are here.

Happy gardening!!

THE BABY IS 1 || & I painted the high chair

My sweet baby turned 1 last week and we had a little party on Sunday to celebrate.

This little one is sweet and spunky and getting easier by the day.

I had an old wooden high chair my mom gave me a few years ago.  It had a great shape, but the finish was worn and yucky {think 70's-yellowed-stain}.  I had wanted to paint it, but it fell low on the priority list.  With the birthday party coming up, I figured it would be a good excuse to paint it!

I used Chalk Paint® {of course;-}.

I mixed Antibes Green and Old White…..3 parts Antibes Green to 1 part Old White.  By adding the Old White, it softens the green.  It's cheerful but not too bright.

I distressed the edges a bit and 'dipped' the feet in Old White.

I waxed it with Clear Wax and called it finished!

For the 'dipped feet', I taped with masking tape for a crisp edge.

I set the monkey in the high chair and tried to capture some cute poses.  I took a lot of photos, but none really seemed to capture her personality.  Next time!

You have probably noticed, but I am really getting hooked on mixing colors of the Chalk Paint® and Milk Paint.  Both lines of paint come in beautiful colors, but it really opens the door to color when you start mixing….so fun!

A LITTLE BREAK || and a lot to be thankful for

You may {or may not} have noticed that I haven't been as regular at posting as I usually try to be.

We have been sick, injured and I have just been a little burnt out.

And then the trees and flowers began to bloom.  The sunshine appeared and I am gently reminded that the seasons come and go.  The seasons in our lives {the good and the bad} are short lived in light of eternity.  The last couple of months have been a little rough.  I am ready for this season to pass, but I know that the trials bring me closer to God.  And, they remind me that I have so much to be thankful for! {That is our neighbor's barn in the background, isn't it cool?!?}

To add a little sweetness to our home, we brought home 6 new chicks.  They are darling.  I haven't had luck introducing new girls to the old girls, but I am determined that they will all get along.  This whole 'pecking order' is so disturbing.  Hens can be so mean!  Matt still needs to build them a chicken coop, hopefully by the end of summer they will have a beautiful new home!

My mom made this quilt for Savanna.  Isn't it darling?  It's so bright and cheerful.  She just dropped it by last week!  I am not a quilter, but I sure appreciate the time that goes into it.  And what is better than snuggling with a baby swaddled in a beautiful blanket?!?

She made Addilyn's quilt for her when she was born.  Isn't it darling?

And there is nothing like chocolate to cheer a girl up!  Do you know my secret ingredient to box-mix brownies? Sour cream!  About a half cup of sour cream makes all of the difference {thanks for the tip Candice!}  Toppings don't hurt either...

I added marshmallows, coconut, pecans and chocolate chips.  It took less than 5 minutes to prepare.  The house smells amazing and the other people instantly think I am amazing and the best cook in the world.  I am telling you, boxed mixes to wonderful things for my family!

I have a lot of fun projects in the works.  Both for clients, and in our home.  I can't wait to post pictures!!  In the mean time, go make some brownies ;-)

A NEW 'BASICS' CLASS || and a few projects

I hosted our first BASICS class this week and it seems to be a very popular class!

I had to turn a few ladies away {which I felt really bad about!} but I promised to host 1-2 BASICS class each month.

The next BASICS is Wednesday, May 14th, 7-8:30pm.  I have 4 spots left if you want to join!

The tuition is $45. At the class, we learn two different gorgeous finishes with chalk paint® and soft wax by annie sloan that you will use to transform your furniture, fixtures, cabinets and walls:  distressed and washed method.  You will leave armed with samples you’ve created of each finish, a notebook full of ideas,  and the confidence to tackle all your projects.  

And, in other news, I have A LOT of half finished projects going on around the house.  The girls have been sick, Matt still isn't healthy and back to himself, and it's been so rainy…..to say the least, I haven't been too motivated to work on projects!

While Matt was gone one day, I did paint the mantle. Matt loved the Cherry mantle.  It is beautiful!  But, I ordered darker furniture and I really want the room to feel light.  So I painted it ;-)  I think it looks really pretty, I will post pictures soon.  Matt actually likes it too!  There are some projects I just have to tackle when he is gone….then he can't stop me!  Ha….does anybody else have that problem?!?  I know there are other ladies out there who do the same thing ;-)

I also started painting in the entry way.  I am painting the railing to match our new, black, glossy doors.  I am thinking of wallpapering or hang in fabric on this big, blank wall leading to the basement.  Thoughts?  I have always wanted to hang wallpaper in my home.  I have chosen wallpapers for different clients, but never been able to commit for my own home.  I will let you know!

BEFORE + AFTER || a darling dresser

A few weeks ago I bought a darling dresser at a thrift store.  It wasn't necessarily a screaming deal, but I loved the lines of the piece.  I decided to purchase it and it has been sitting in the garage waiting for a little makeover.

It is a heavy one, so pardon the picture of it on it's side!

And here she is all painted and cleaned up.

I painted the inside of the drawers ANTIBES GREEN {Chalk Paint®}.  I know it takes extra effort to paint the insides of the drawers, but I love how it really finishes a piece off.

The pretty blue is actually a mix of three different Chalk Paint® colors.

2 parts Louis Blue

2 parts Provence

1 part Florence

I finished it off with a coat of clear wax.  I am starting to work on pieces for my little Spring Sale, but it will be listed for $345 if you are interested in purchasing earlier ;-)

And this was the scene outside while I was painting.  Little Miss was playing in the pond and my sweet hubby was recuperating from spending his birthday in the hospital.  Poor thing.  He had an accident with his table saw first thing in the morning.  The girls and I piled into the car to take him to the ER.   I didn't know how bad it was {he kept his hand wrapped in a towel}.  He ended up having surgery and finally coming home around 10pm.  It was a rough day but we are so thankful for great friends who stepped into help and for God's provision!

BEFORE + AFTER

Hello!

I thought I would show a few BEFORE + AFTER photos of a remodel Matt did this winter.  He did a remodel for a sweet couple  who bought some property outside of McMinnville.  After seeing this property for the first time, Matt totally got the 'acreage bug' and wanted to move to the country ;-)

Here is a BEFORE of the little kitchen.

And here is the AFTER.

The owners kept the cabinets.  Matt took down some cabinets and soffit, they replaced the floor and got new appliances.

The entry/living room BEFORE.

Matt re-worked the living room walls to make for a more spacious master suite.  With that came painting, new lighting, new flooring and a beautiful paneled wall.

The living room AFTER.

Don't you love her decorating style?  Their home is so inviting and colorful!

Master bedroom BEFORE.

I didn't snap any photos of the master bedroom.  However, I did get a few of the new master bathroom

Everything in the master bathroom is brand new.

Don't you love how light and bright it is?!?

There were a lot of 'little projects' done at this house.  New front door, new entry, new laundry room…..later this summer I will go snap some more photos!

Don't you feel inspired to go add some color to your living room now?  I sure do!!

Thanks Mike and Kelsey!  It was a pleasure working with you!

A LITTLE UPDATE || and a sweet treat recipe

So sorry for the leave of absence last week!

It was a busy week with design clients, getting the cottage ready for a long term guest, and life with my two little ladies and one big man!  But, I thought I would post a few photos of the latest happenings here at our home.  And a cream puff recipe that is so easy, you will want to whip up a batch 'just because'!

I finally ordered furniture for the living room!  We have about 4 weeks until it arrives so I am hoping to have the living room painted and ready when the furniture arrives.

Matt is patching cracks and repairing an old ceiling leak.  The bonus of living with a contractor who is also a perfectionist…..the cracks get fixed before painting.

I am more of a 'i-just-want-paint-in-the-walls' kind of girl. I would have this room painted during one nap time.  Now, it wouldn't look nearly AS  good, but I would feel good about having paint on the walls.  Matt's approach is more along the lines of….puddy every hole, patch + texture every crack, cut in perfectly, paint the ceiling…..you get the picture.  I am slowly {after almost 12 years of marriage} learning that his approach is actually better than mine and always results in a great finished product.  So, the living room may actually take me closer to 4 weeks to paint ;-)

There are some built-ins in the hallway.  They provide excellent storage!  They all had brass knobs that were in great shape.  I painted the knobs black and I love how a simple change can make such a big impact!

See what I mean??

The bedrooms are all connected by this great {long} hallway.  I have been busy touching up paint, caulking and scrubbing.

Won't this hall look beautiful with all of our new black doors?!?  Matt is ordering the doors this week, I will keep you posted!  Matt replaced the lights for me and it instantly changed the look and feel of the hallway.

Here it is now with the new lights, painted hardware and some plates on the walls.

I am working on some family photos to hang on another wall in the hallway.

So, as you can see, the list of projects is pretty long.  But, we love having little projects and we really love our new home!

Now, to keep my sweet husband going with the list of projects seems too long, I often bake him something sweet.  A couple of weeks ago I made a batch of chocolate cream puffs.  A friend reminded me how easy {and tasty} they are, so I found an old recipe I had and give them a try.  Sure thing….they are so good!!

Chocolate Cream Puffs

Ingredients

1 cup water 1/2 cup butter (one cube) 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 large eggs Bavarian pastry cream Melting chocolate

Directions

1. Mix the dough.  In a medium saucepan on medium-high heat, place one cup of water and one stick (1/2 cup) of butter.  After the butter is melted, turn off heat and add one cup all-purpose flour all at once.  Stir until the dough forms a ball and flour is absorbed.
2. Place dough ball in your stand-type mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until the dough starts to cool, 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the eggs all at once and mix on low speed until the dough absorbs the eggs and the dough becomes very sticky. This will take about 8 to10 minutes.
3. Bake the cream puffs.  With a large spoon or ice cream scoop (1/4 cup), spoon mounds of evenly spaced dough onto a greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes and then turn the oven down to 350 degrees for another 10 minutes. You can also use a small cookie scoop as shown in the pictures. You'll just need to lower the baking time to 15 minutes at 400 degrees and then turn down to 350 for another 7 minutes.
4. Fill the cream puffs with Bavarian cream.  If you are using a scratch recipe, make a horizontal slit in the edge of each cream puff and slip a large spoonful of cream into each cream puff.  If you are using professional Bavarian cream, insert the tip of the plastic bag into the edge of each cream puff and squeeze.

Melt the chocolate.  Melt your chocolate in the microwave for 20 seconds at a time until melted.  Do not overheat the chocolate.  You can either dip the tops of the cream puffs into the chocolate or spoon chocolate over the cream puffs.  Let the chocolate set before serving.

Enjoy!

a little break

 

So sorry for no posts, this week has been a busy one!

Getting the cottage ready for a long term {anywhere from 3-8 weeks} guest, design consultations, selling paint, and playing with my girls.

Next week I hope to have some 'project pictures' to post!

In the mean time, have a wonderful day!!!!

REFRESHING A VINTAGE OAK CABINET || an afternoon project

Whenever I have a few minutes of free time {girls are playing together and keeping each other happy, so not truly free time ;-} I sneak away to work in Matt's office.

A few days ago, I purchased this great old oak cabinet from a friend.

She had texted me a photo of it.  I knew it would be perfect for Matt's office!  I wanted something that didn't necessarily need to function, was darker and masculine, and was at a decent price point, this fit the bill!

I wiped the entire thing {inside and out} down with a vinegar + water solution.  There were spider webs, a little mold, the usual things you find in  "old, funky furniture".  Once it was clean, I wiped it down with MMS Hemp Oil.

Hemp Oil is so simple to use.  Just pour some onto a clean cotton cloth and rub it onto the piece.   Just wipe it on and, since it’s all natural, it doesn’t have a strong smell.

Hemp Oil takes about 30 days to fully cure.  You can still use the piece during that time, but it might feel a little oily to the touch.

The top of the piece was in bad shape.  I painted it with Chalk Paint® {GRAPHITE}.  Once the paint was dry, I added a coat of clear wax and buffed it out.  I wanted the top to look a bit more aged, so I added a coat of dark wax.

The top would look best if it was still the original wood.  But, it's not and I feel this in the next best thing.

I have to replace a couple of the metal tabs, but other than that, it's good-to-go!

Isn't it a fun piece?

And the best part, it took less than 1 hour {total} and cost less than $100!

Have a great weekend!!

BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA || an easy home made dinner

 

I feel like I should start off with 'don't judge me by the food photos'.  I am not a professional photographer!  OK, I feel better already ;-)

I thought I would share a few of my easy dinner recipes.  Recipes that might inspire you to make home made dinner for your peeps!

I love to eat good food.  Who doesn't?  It's even better when you can make homemade meals fast, and you don't need to use a bunch of processed ingredients. We usually have home made pizza on Monday nights.  It started years ago when I wanted to make Matt 'football' food for when he watched Monday Night Football.  Now it's just part of my Monday routine, kind of like brushing my teeth!

I have used this pizza dough recipe for years.

I make the dough while I am cleaning the breakfast dishes, really it's that easy and fast!  I let the dough rise all day and then about 45 minutes before I want dinner on the table, I start to assemble the pizza.

Last night was BBQ CHICKEN PIZZA.  

Ingredients ::

BBQ sauce {I usually make my own, Ree's recipe is my favorite….it only takes a few minutes}

Olive Oil

Cooked Chicken {I like to use the rotisserie chicken from Costco}

Mushrooms

Red Onion

Mozzarella

Fresh Chives or Cilantro

Directions ::

Pre-heat oven to 425.  Spread out your pizza dough.  Spread 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil over the dough. Spread 2-3 tablespoons of BBQ sauce over the dough.

Chop your cooked chicken and mix with BBQ sauce until the chicken is evenly coated. Spread chicken over dough.

Add sliced mushrooms, sliced onions {and any other toppings that your little heart desires} and top with sliced mozzarella.

Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes.

Top with fresh chives or cilantro….ENJOY!

THE STUIO || + a little giveaway

Have I mentioned how much I love having the design studio so close to home?  In Carlton, we lived about 3 blocks from my studio.  Not bad.  But here, it's a 10 second walk.  Awesome.

We do a lot of bike riding on Fridays.  It's fun for the little miss, and we can easily greet customers when they drive up!

I thought I would show you a few photos of the updated studio space.  I still have lots of projects, but at least the space is 'presentable'!

Remember the 'BEFORE'?

We started with new paint on the walls and ceilings and a new {laminate} floor.

The floors have a lot of variation in color which hides dust and dirt well.  And in a working studio, that is a big bonus!

We switched out a few of the lights.  Matt still has to hang a little chandelier in the entry…..always projects ;-)

We have a handful of cabinet doors painted in various Chalk Paint® colors.  I still need to paint 15 more doors!

Not to mention I need to paint another 18 to show all of the MILK PAINT colors!

I painted a few banners on the wall showing the different Chalk Paint® and MILK PAINT colors.

I also have trim pieces painted with each color.  It really helps to see the paint applied in different ways.

Matt was going to build shelves for the wall.  He mentioned using this old hutch top for a shelf instead!  Perfect!  I din't have a use for it, so, I painted/waxed/distressed and it saved him the time of having to build shelves.

Lots of Spring colors!

Do you see how dirty those daffodils are?  Do you know how to get the mud off of the petals??  Every time I try I rip the petals!

And just for fun I thought I would do a little Miss Mustard Seed Milk Paint giveaway.  Trying saying that 10 times!!

A bar of spearmint and green tea soap to clean your hands and brush when you are done painting.

A sample size of MUSTARD SEED and KITCHEN SCALE Milk Paint.

Fun, right?  I am limiting this giveaway to local gals.  I want to be able to drop it off and give you tips on how to use Milk Paint {if you have never used it}.  Just leave a comment on the blog telling me what you think you will paint with Milk Paint!  I will draw a winner Sunday and deliver next week.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

HOUSE PROGRESS || a quick update

Thank you for all of your sweet  comments, emails and FB messages about Monday's post.  You guys are so great.  I try to keep this space primarily about decorating/design/construction, thank you for the encouragement!

I thought I would update you on the progress of our various house projects!

In between  work {Matt has several smaller jobs going that is taking up all of his time during the day and I have a couple of ongoing design projects}, loving on my family {Savanna is almost 1!!} and just doing my best to keep our home in order, owe don't have a lot of room for working on projects.

We have replaced one of the doors.  We picked a style that we thought fit the house, painted it black {Matt sprayed it with a true black, semi-gloss} and Matt hung it over the weekend.

We decided to replace all of the interior doors {upstairs} and paint them black.  We both LOVE them!  You may remember this conversation we had before we moved ;-)

I have started taking down the wall paper in the dining room.  By started,  I mean I have spent a total of 15 minutes.  I take what I can get!

And, Matt's office….

Over the weekend, he sprayed the book shelves white.

Ahhhh, the power of paint!  Don't you love how it brightens the room??

We also got the first coat of the wall color on.

We have been working in here after the girls go to bed, so it's taking a while!  By 8pm my mind is mush and my body is tired!  I help for about 15 minutes, then go to get ready for our ice cream and tv viewing.  Sad, I know.  Matt is a rock star and has obviously been spending more time painting than I have!!

Well, that's it for now!  I am hoping to have photos of the design studio by Friday.  And possibly a little give away!!

Have a great day!!