Very Merry Monday Inspiration {Milkshake Cupcakes}

I love to bake. Even more so I love to bake pretty things!

Aren't these Milkshake Cupcakes from Bakerella just so adorable?

They look fairly easy to pull off which is necessary criteria to make it on my to-do list. These would be perfection for a birthday party young or old. She has the how to on her site here.







Bakerella is the inventor of the cake pop and has even written a book of the same name. She's the expert on baking all things mini and on sticks. She will most definately inspire the baker in you!

{Found} Friday

Hello. My name is Chris and I'm a thrifting addict.

A-D-D-I-C-T.

Have been since my teenage years. Some might call me fanatical. But there is nothing better than grabbing a starbucks on a solo afternoon and hitting the thrift stores hunting for treasures. I get so excited about it that my face gets flush and my heart starts racing. Weird, huh? It's true it just ignites something in me. It's the thrill of the hunt!


So here is my recent loot:


Ohhh I'm so excited about this bunch of goodies. Let me tell you more about them.



1. 3 tin pails in blue, red and yellow. perfect for crayons, pencils and such for the boys desk. $.50 a piece

2. pink and green chalkboard elephant also for the boys desk. $1.50

3.adorable yellow and white houndstooth pair of large pillowcases. $1.50

4. vintage yellow and white bowl with lid. Perfect for some of my fabric notions $.40

5. the most awesome turquoise parrot on stand with feathers. I LOVE it! $1.00

6. Miscellaneous white china in various patterns and shapes. This is for an Anthro inspired project that I share below. total $2.25


7. Red airway vintage suitcase that is in the most incredible shape! I already have some fabrics folded and in it or I would have shared a pic of it open. This is going to sit in my craft area. $5.00

8. Stackable tins for more crafting goods $1.50

TOTAL=$13.65. Yay!!


And my very favorite find is most definitely the pretty bird.




I have plans for a couple of the things already. The dishes were bought specifically to make another one of these:



This one sits on my craft desk and hold my odds and ends. It was inspired by one I saw at Anthropologie with a huge price tag. It would be lovely spot for cupcakes too.

I've also already gotten to one of the pillowcases of the set. I cut it in half, stuffed and then sewed the sides back up to make a long pillow for the playroom bench. And I still have lots of pillowcase to work with. I'm still contemplating if I'll make another pillow out of the other half.







Well that's it for my finds this week. Could you possibly thrift as much as I do? Tell me I'm not the only addict walking around!

Have a wonderful weekend. ♥

The Sexy Jakie Sandwich

At the end last week, my husband left for Seattle to visit his bestie. He's been trying for some time to get out there to see him and has always wanted to see Seattle. Being a huge fan of coffee, grunge and overcast skies, he's always felt so kindred to the city.

So finally he goes for an extended weekend where his buddy Andy and him set off on all kinds of adventures. Sweetly enough they send me some text pics when they reach Forks.




Yep, those extremely burly not-so-Twilight-loving men drove through Olympia National Forest to get to Forks to spend some of their precious time. Some of it because they know how much my girlfriends and I are Edward & Jacob obsessed.

They even ate at the Twilight Cafe where they sent me this pic:




Do you want these salt and pepper shakers as bad as I do?

Both of them after their meal called me in the car on speaker to laugh about the meals they ate. Andy asked the waitress for a burger and she said to him "You mean the Twilight burger?". He refused to say it and instead said "yeah just a burger". My husband finding total humor in it all ordered loud and proud the "Sexy Jakie Sandwich". hahahaaa. I roared with laughter at this.

If you knew them both you would know how funny it is that they had the ultimate Twilight experience. My husband brought back some cute souvenirs including the "Twilight Times", magnets that say Forks, and rocks from La Push beach. So thoughtful and really still so funny.

I can't wait to see the rest of the pics and hear about the other escapades these two funny guys had. I'll share more interesting parts of their adventure soon!

Very Merry Monday {Stencil Painted Sub Floors} Inspiration

Happy Monday Y'all!

Mondays on Poppies & Poetry is for inspiration. A little something to inspire and get you through the week.

Today I found Ashley's post about her DIY painted & stenciled floors at her beautiful blog Under the Sycamore.


You know I'm a sucker for anything DIY.

She was inspired by these floors below via Design Sponge:

These floors and her rendition make me swoon. Now by head is spinning on how to make this work in my home. Ashley goes point by point with wonderful photography on how to do this DIY. I think her total for the project was around $45. That is an unbelievable price for such a customized look.

Hop on over to Ashley's blog and discover her inspirational world as a photographer and mother of four. Your jaw will drop in awe at the beauty she captures with a camera and her archives of DIY projects and Mommy musings.



I hope you feel as inspired as I do today!

New in the Shop: Follow Your Heart Necklace

Along with my love of thrifting is my passion to upcycle or recycle. I have a box of miscellaneous old jewelry pieces and I love recreating beauty out of the remnants.

This necklace is pieces from earrings and old necklaces changed up with some paint.

Meet the Follow Your Heart Necklace:

Isn't she lovely?,

Thrifted Window Shades with some DIY Love

So when I want anything I start at the thrift first. When I started working on the play/craft room, I decided I wanted maybe some tie up shades. So I put it on my search for list when I came across two mid-length shears. I'm didn't really think they were what I wanted but for a $1 each I knew I could do something with them.

That's when it struck me that I could use some fabric from my stash and add the ties myself. But to be honest with you, that evening I started tackling this project I wasn't in the sewing mood. I was in the "easy" mode. Enter Glue Gun. Quick, easy and instant gratification.

I just cut the pieces, ironed them and then literally glued the seam together and then glued it on to the shear.

Now maybe given the opportunity again I would probably just sew it and stop being lazy about it. But the glue gun worked great and since it's high temp it'll wash well on gentle. So I'm not worried and I think for what it is it looks great.

What do you think?

The larger window needed something as well. It was also a serious thrift store find meets quick DIY. A $1 bedsheet turned into window treatment!







This twin bedsheet which really isn't all that well made already had the hem at the top that was open at the ends perfect for a curtain rod.


I've also been wanting something with a scalloped edge or pom pom trim for that window.

So I just went for both and am glad I did.


I folded over the bedsheet long ways and cut my length. Then with it still folded over a couple times long ways, I cut one scallop (sort of the same concept when you fold a piece of paper to cut out a heart) and opened it up. Wah Laaa!


Because I didn't really want to finish the end of that edge (I was really uber lazy this particular day)I thought about the pom pom trim. Again enter glue gun. I added a cute bunting I made and now it feels so fun, bright and cheerful just the way a playroom should.

(pretend you don't see the snow piling up on my deck furniture outside. It's been a busy winter)

Two window treatments for a total under $5. Awesome! DIYing thrift store finds might be my favorite thing to do.

Do you DIY your thrift store finds?

Linking up at:

For the Love of Chocolate

Do you know about the 5 minute mug chocolate cake? For the love of all things chocolate, ooey gooey and quick, you MUST.

How good this actually is will blow your mind! I found this via A Dress A Day and immediately and I mean in the few seconds following reading it, went to the kitchen and whipped this up.

5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE

4 tablespoons flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 egg

3 tablespoons milk

3 tablespoons oil

3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional)

A small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug (Microwave Safe)

Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly before pouring in the milk and oil in. Keep mixing. Add the chocolate chips next and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for three minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don’t be alarmed! Allow it to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. Serve with icecream or eat straight out of the mug! Totally enough to share.

And it is dangerous. Super dangerous.

I look at it as I didn't bake a whole cake and so I won't eat a whole one, just a mug worth. But the fact that I can whip that mug of chocolate cake up in as little as 5 minutes seems a bit scary to my waist line.

This is great to do with kids or your girlfriends when they come over for a fun night, which is what I plan on doing this Friday when my besties come over.

This makes an awesome gift. Pre-measure the ingredients, create a cute recipe card and stick it in a all in a darling mug. Yes, I think I love that idea.

Go run and try this in a hurry. Be careful and don't over cook in the microwave or it gets tough and even though it's tough you might be tempted to eat it anyway. Not that I would know anything about that:)

ENJOY!!


pic via Coffee and Sunshine who also posted about this awesomeness and vegan substitutes.

These Moments

'Tis the season for the sickies. My babes have gotten hit hard in the last few days.

Both of them at the very same time!
Fevers, coughing, congestion, and belly aches.

It's been awhile since they've been sick and I've had to stay home from work. But as stressful as it seemed a day to tackle with trying to work from home and be nurse to my little men, I enjoyed it. My other wise bouncing-off-the-wall, couch-diving guys are more quiet and snuggly. They need their Momma.

Nothing feels more validating to me as a Mother than being able to nurse my babies back to health when they are ill. I dress up the couch with pillows and blankets, put tissues near by and I let them watch movies and eat popsicles. Today I even let them decorate cookies to bake when they had the energy.

As Mommies there isn't anything we wouldn't do to make our babies feel better.

And it's moments like these that I hope my boys remember. How nurtured and taken care of they felt by their Mom. In the way I remember feeling about my Mom feeding me soup and stroking my hair on sick days home from school. It is one of the most genuine acts of love.

Eventhough I had several tasks to complete for work with impending deadlines, I didn't let my to-do list get in the way today of my main priority and I didn't let it define the pace of our day. I took lots of lazy time full of nothing but holding my boys, watching movies and stroking wisps of hair from their warm little foreheads.

It's true, I really do live for these moments..

BTW: Have you ever tried the vicks vapor rub on the feet with warm socks trick for a cough? I know it's an old wives tale..but honestly it really works!!

A new found passion

I now have a DLSR camera and Picnik in my tool belt.

My picture taking is moving to a whole new level and passion that I didn't even know was there has risen and demanded to be nurtured.

Photography.

(my boys holding hands)

Momtog is teaching me how to shoot in Manual.

(my aunts during our annual FL trip)

Picnik is making me look way better than I am.

This week I bought a tripod for my Canon Rebel and intend to kick my photoshoots into high gear.

(My hubby and Quinn at Halloween fest 2010)

I am now happily that MOM following her kids around trying to capture every moment and annoying my FB friends with tons of uploads.

(birds they were watching)

Has a new passion risen up in you lately?

Paint Therapy

Therapy is expensive. Let's be honest we all need it. I choose sometimes to medicate with DIY projects. Painting is very therapeutic. Just you, a can of spray paint and the unsuspecting piece that is going to have it's life changed. I feel so calm and accomplished after. I really do.

Turquoise is my color weapon of choice. If it were up to me everything in my house would be a shade of it. The hubs will not have it. But luckily he puts up with a nauseating amount of it.

Armed with a can of turquoise spray paint I went postal on a thrift store find who by-golly needed help. This once ugly gold, dusty, Liberace mirror should thank me.

Now it makes me happy and hangs whimsically in the play/craft room.

Notice the turquoise photo frame in the reflection of the mirror. I painted that as well as it was the same ugly gold. A coat and cute pic of my kids holding hands later it's perfection. The other pic is a canvas I also found at a thrift store and I used yellow paint on it. Then I mounted a black and white of my boys on it.


I also attacked the kids desk. This was a DIY almost gone wrong. I found an old desk top in the Ikea salvage department for $1. Crazy. It had to come home with me.

I had a piece of lumber cut down at Lowes into four legs and my husband drilled them into the table. Of course the laminate on top split and it didn't look so pretty. A coat of my favorite color definitely helped. I plan on coming up with something to cover the holes left in the top. Total cost for this awesome desk: $4.

Can't beat it.




and of course once in the mode I was searching for other victims for my turquoise paint tirade and found my vintage owl trivets who were all rusty. Aren't they cute?


Paint can improve just about anything. And it most definitely improves my mood.

Now go paint and I'll bill you later.

Linky Partying at:

The House in the Roses--Cottage Monday

Be Colorful--Motivated Monday

Soup Bar

As a working Mom dinner sometimes is my enemy. The dread sets in about 4pm on workdays and quandary begins in my head on what to pull together to feed my family.

Most of the time I'm missing an ingredient for what I want to make and other times I'm just plain lacking the will.

My newest attempt at making sure I get something healthy and tasty on the table on those nights while giving my stress level a break is the "bars".

I'm making three tasty meals on one day and presenting them bar style for several days in the same week. This week is was the Soup Bar.

I made my French Onion Soup, Baked Potato Soup and Cincinnati style Chili . Every work night this week I can throw together a salad or sandwich and my boys can pick a different soup to have.



One bigger cooking day really does payoff for an easier dinner week. And is possible when your little guy plays quietly in the playroom/craft room next to you.



Now instead of rushing home after picking up the boys to make dinner before the hubby gets home, I can head to the library instead with them for a an hour or so of fun before coming home to warm up dinner!

I love it! Next week I think I'll do taco bar with different kinds of meats and fixings. The possibilities really are endless.

This often hot-mess Mama is a little less a hot-mess this week.


My Fabulous French Onion Soup recipe is here. I use this Baked Potato Soup recipe.

And here is my Cincinnati Chili recipe that never disappoints:

Cincinnati Chili

1 can of tomato juice

1 lb. ground beef

1 whole onion chopped

3 large cloves garlic

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 can light red kidney beans

1 can chili beans

1 packet chili seasoning

1 tbsp cinnamon

Brown ground beef with the onion and then drain grease. Return to heat. Crush 3 cloves garlic into ground beef. Add tomato juice, cans of beans and tomatoes. Let simmer on med-high for a 10 minutes. Add packet of chili seasoning and cinnamon and let simmer on medium heat for 20 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with shredded cheese and sour cream.

I serve my chili with corn casserole from Haus of Girls that I learned about from one of my favorite blogs Joy's Hope. We eat it on the side or spooned into the chili which is the way I prefer it.

All of it tastes especially lovely in my pedestal bowls:)

Enjoy!

DIY Latte

Raise your hand if you are a Starbucks fanatic.

You can't see me but both of my hands are totally raised.

I want a Venti vanilla latte every.single.day.

If I want my kids to have a college education I must find ulterior means of having one. Oh and I have the easiest, quickest, satisfying semi-homemade solution.

May I introduce you to my DIY Latte:

You will need:

-expresso or in my case strongly brewed coffee. I use Trader Joe's fair trade.

-your favorite creamer. Mine change from season to season but mostly vanilla.

-milk frother like this one from Ikea or emulsion blender if you don't have one

-your favorite mug. Mine is my heavily used and a loved Starbucks beauty.

Pour 1/4 cup full of your creamer and microwave about 40 seconds or so

next using your frother or emulsion blender go to town. I like mine super frothy.

Once a completely frothy dream, pour in your strong hot coffee of your choice.

now use your finger and make a pretty swirl

Now enjoy the yumminess that was not even near $5 and eases all guilt that your Starbucks caffeine addiction will steal away your children's' future.

A few tips:

-if you are using plain creamer or milk I recommend adding sugar or sweetener to it when microwaving. The creamer I use always provides enough sweetness for me without additions.

-To change it up a bit add in things like a bit of canned pumpkin and cinnamon for a pumpkin spice latte or a touch of real vanilla or peppermint extract for your different versions of your coffee house favs.

Enjoy my fellow caffeine addicted friends!

I'm linking up to:

Craftomaniac,