Month

August 2012

New Kitchen Light Fixture: Bye Bye UFO

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Ugh, I could not stand this light fixture above our kitchen table.

 

It always seemed too small for the space, and to me it resembled a UFO. I was starting to wonder when E.T. was going to come back for it.
Brian and I did a little shopping last week, and saw something that I immediately liked. It was classic and a little vintage, and even better it was on sale for $30! They only had the floor model left, but that was ok with us. No scratches no dents.
Brian has updated a lot of light fixtures in the past (mostly because I we have always switched light fixtures in every place we live), so he is an old pro.
This is what it looks like now.

 

 

So much better. I think it goes with our old church pew.

Flashback Friday: Bathroom Spruce Up

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Welcome to the second installment of Friday Flashback. The first Friday Flashback was last week where I talked about our kitchen progress.

This is our upstairs bathroom. Just like last week, this is a primo example of where some paint and a few small changes can make a big difference. So in true HGTV fashion you will see a quick before and after transformation.

We will begin with dark floral border and sponge paint.

 

Gold mirror, beige painted vanity, and dated hardware.
Old almond toilet, and white tile with yellow triangle pattern.
And this…
First, Brian ripped up all the tile, and we had some help with installing some leftover porcelain tile that the previous owner had leftover from the downstairs bathroom remodel (we only had to get thin set and grout).

 

 

Then, on another late night, my mom and I scored and steamed the border and removed it. Sanded down the drywall to remove the sponge paint finish and repainted the bathroom a pale green.

 

Brian removed the almond toilet, and with a little research and the help of his brother installed a new Kohler toilet in white.
Next, I sanded, primed and painted the vanity in black semi gloss and added brushed nickel hardware and a matching black mirror to freshen it up.
Then we added a few finishing touches.
Like some extra storage with this great cabinet from Target.
And this adorable Amy Butler shower curtain I got a Bed Bath and Beyond on clearance and with a 20% off coupon (Ca-ching).

Finally, a nice new shower head.

So there you have it. Our upstairs bathroom spruce up. Thank goodness for paint and clearance shower curtains!

 

Honey Wheat Bread and Grilled Cheese [How I Get Around a Food Allergy]

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My kids have a few food allergies. I feel bad for them sometimes because they have to be denied certain foods that other kids get to have so regularly, but overall, they are very healthy.

One of the allergies that we have at our house is an egg white sensitivity. We call it a sensitivity, as it is not severe, and according to the doctor, it will probably be outgrown over time. Egg whites are everywhere it seems, including bread. This is why sometimes I make my own bread for the kids. There are a few brands out there without egg whites, but if you suffer from an allergy, it is nice to have a recipe that you know EXACTLY what all the ingredients are.
My cousin, Sarah, sent me a recipe last summer from allrecipes.com It is a Honey Wheat Bread that is outstanding. It is pretty simple to make for the first time bread baker, and you can make a few alterations to the recipe. For example, Sarah’s suggestions were to change up the white to wheat flour ratio, or possibly add some flax seeds or sunflower seeds.
Just like last week’s french bread recipe, I wanted to share some things we like to make with Honey Wheat Bread. Brian and I love it toasted with the chicken salad recipes I shared on Tuesday. The kids absolute favorite is Pear and Cheddar Grilled Cheese. 

 

Pear and Cheddar Grilled Cheese
1/4 of a large pear cored and sliced thin
2 sandwich sized slices of sharp cheddar cheese
2 slices honey wheat bread
1 tbsp unsalted butter softened*Disclaimer: If you know how to make grilled cheese, skip the directions. I actually felt weird typing them out, but I figured someone (cough cough Brian cough) could use them.

 

Spray a small skillet with non-stick spray and preheat over low heat. Then using a butter knife, divide the butter evenly and spread on one side of a piece of bread. Place the slice of bread butter side down in the skillet. Quickly add one slice of cheese on the bread, then the pears.

 

Finally, add the second slice of cheese. Butter the second slice of cheese with the remaining butter, and place butter side up on top of the sandwich. When the bread is starting to brown and cheese just starting to melt, this takes about 2 minutes. Using a spatula, flip the sandwich over, and cook until the cheese is completely melted. Serve while still warm.

 

 

Rock On: What I did with our ticket stubs

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Brian and I love music. Pretty much any kind of music. When we were dating, we went to concerts all the time. Our first “real” date was at Ravinia to see the BoDeans. Which speaking of music, is there anyone out there who is digging Mayer Hawthorne or JD McPherson lately? I love their old school sound! Anyway, I digress.

I have all these ticket stubs…

 

…and until today, I kept them in a file folder.
I am pretty sentimental. I scrapbook, take tons of photos, save things like ticket stubs. So, I decided I wanted to display them.
This is what the look like now.
I found this idea on Pinterest. All it took was a shadow box, and some things I had on hand, and about 30 minutes during nap time (which left plenty of time for me to take a little snooze too). Since this project was so short, I linked up with Hi Sugarplum for the “In About an Hour” project link party.
I printed some cute font on some scrapbook paper, cut out the letters in little circles using a Creative Memories Punch, and using some double stick tape, taped them to a larger patterned piece of paper.

 

 

Then, I just slipped the paper and the tickets in the shadow box I got at JoAnn Fabrics on sale and with a coupon (BOOYA).
Voila! A perfect and sentimental way to display all the cool concerts we’ve seen.

 

 

Wouldn’t it be cute to make these for kids too? I’ll get on that.
Right after I take a nap.

Soccer Camp: I swore I’d never be a ‘Soccer Mom’

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When I first heard the term “Soccer Mom,” all I could think of is the “Mom Jeans” commercial from SNL. You will NEVER EVER see me sport a pair of Mom Jeans (EVER), but I have to say watching the boys at soccer camp last week was awesome.

They really learned a lot about the sport, and I even got to participate in the parents vs. kids game. The kids bragged about beating us, but we totally let them win (maybe).
Does that make me a Soccer Mom? Maybe, but did I mention I will never wear mom jeans?