Is it a brain or is it bread?

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It's bread. It just looked like a skull. The recipe is from Artisanal Bread in Five Minutes a Day.  It is super easy to make and super delicious. 

A clear evening clutch

I know, I know, this has nothing to do with the kitchen but it was fun so I wanted to share it anyway.

My friend Sarah found this idea and got all the supplies for the project.
She got the clear cases at the container store.

We got a drill bit just a bit bigger than the screw on the decorative knob. Drilled a hole in the top of the case.

Then clipped the screw short with some wire cutters. And bolted the knob onto the case. I think they are super cute but I am not sure if I am tiddy enough to carry a clear evening bag. We will be making more so if you are interested in having one, let me know.

A small change from the 60s

I decided that I was horribly tired of the 1960s bathroom medicine cabinet in the guest bathroom. It was not only ugly but it was also broken. At the bottom there were supposed to be sliding doors but they were long gone before we bought that house.

I looked around at hardware stores for new a medicine cabinet but they were all somewhat expensive (about $150) and not the most attractive things either. I realized though, that the guest bathroom does not need a traditional medicine cabinet as guests don’t need to hide away their toiletries. So I decided I would simply hang a decorative mirror.

Because my discretionary budget is not very flush I looked at Tuesday morning and found something that I liked for about $35. But since there were more pressing projects at hand I decided not to get the mirror just yet. Then a few days ago Colin and I were headed to see a movie ( Rango- very funny) 

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and as we passed one of the thousands of semi-permanent garage sales (still open at 7pm) in the neighborhood, I saw a mirror almost exactly like the one at Tuesday morning. I begged Colin to pull over but we were late for the movie so I whimpered like a puppy as the light turned green and my mirror vanished into the review mirror.  But since it was at one of the eternal neighborhood sales I just went the next Saturday and there sat my mirror. I asked how much and the girl responded “diez” and I said, “ocho” and she said “no” so I gave her 10 bucks and loaded up my find while two of the other garage sale men tried to sell me the most hideous wedding rings I have ever seen.

Much more chic. Don't you think?

In Honor of Flavor Flav

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Took my time-piece from trashy to classy. 

What's on tonight's menu?

Well, just take a look at the newly finished chalkboard!

 Yay, I finally got this project underway. It took less than two hours and I think it adds a lot to the kitchen.

 How did I create this lovely space to write the daily menu on? Well, let me tell you.  First, I got out my medium level (two-foot, we have a six-foot, two-foot, eight-inch, and one-inch) and a carpenter’s pencil. Then I drew out what looked to be a good size board and got Colin’s approval. We decided to include the light switches so that we could label which switch is for which light. Then after the penciled in rectangle was acceptable to both Colin and I, I taped it out with blue painter’s tape. 

I then mixed up the chalkboard paint according to Martha Stewart’s recipe of 2 Tablespoon’s non-sanded tile grout to one cup of paint (any color- ours is Valspar Glass Green). Then I rolled on the paint with a mini roller and then hand painted the dog dish tray while the first coat of the wall was drying.

Then I did a second coat. Let that dry and then sanded with 150-grit-sandpaper. Then I rubbed the whole thing down with chalk and wiped that away with a damp cloth. Then the fun began. I only had sidewalk chalk on hand so the writing is really big.

So what’s on the menu? Chocolate coconut cupcakes! 

 

Scary old ladder = great plant stand for the yoga room

I am not sure if I have told you that Colin and I are obsessed with obtaining plants for the yoga room.  It has become quite the oasis in the desert. ( This is only after I turned over care of the plants to Colin since I have a black thumb - before it was a plant graveyard.)

Recently we have run into the not so terrible problem of where to put all of our green babies. But, what better solutions are there than the ones laying around the house? We have this old wooden ladder that I am frankly afraid to use for its intended purpose, but that would make a great plant stand.

So a little paint later we had this beauty.

Reuse, reduce, recycle

I seem to be good at the first and good at the last but not so good about reducing.  Yesterday when I was taking my recycling to the center I found an old headboard and footboard from a crib. My mom thought they would make great trellises and I heartily agreed. So I got rid of one box of recycling in exchange for a new project. I guess I need to go home and find something I can bless someone else with in exchange for my new trellises.

Since I am so bad at taking pictures of my adventures, here is a picture I found of what the crib would have looked like.

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Now it is just the end pieces which I will paint a deep dark aqua and place in the garden for future vines to use as support. I will most likely use the same color as the garden chairs below. 

My mom also reminded me that it runs in the family to make stuff out of dumpster finds. This table that I repainted was originally made by my great-grandmother who found the washing machine base at the dump.

My sister also has a wonderful design blog. Most of her great stuff is not from the trash but she has redone items that she has gotten at second-hand stores.

Hoosier redo and my inability take before pics

 A while back I was given an old hoosier that needed some TLC.  What is a hoosier? Well, it is a backer's cabinet that originated in the 1800's. In the top there is a bin for flour that comes down into an attached sifter. The counter is made of enamel for rolling out dough and in the bottom there is a pie safe drawer (which is a metal lined drawer with air vents in the top.)

Since we were in the middle of the kitchen remodel it sat in its sorry state loaded down with tools in the dining room.

Yikes what a mess! It was certainly time to get this puppy cleaned up.  I am sad to report that when I get excited about a project I just jump right in and forget all about taking anything resembling a before picture.  So The pic above is the best "before pic" I could find. 

I jumped right in and I glued all the doors back together and re-screwed the drawer rails and then I got to sanding and painting. 

The colors I used are Martha Stewart's Fig and Valspar's Antique White. 

I then lined all the backs of the shelves with New Mexico Wilderness Maps. 

Quiche

Concrete Pics

The colors are a bit off from real life but oh is this getting exciting or what?