New Candle Goodness

I picked this up at Target today.
It smells awesome.
Updated to add:
My husband says it smells "wonky"
whatever...

Dinner.

We had a pasta bake and steamed brussel sprouts tonight.
I don't cook much.
I am proud of myself every time something comes out of my kitchen that I made.

Gated Mantel

I bought this fence gate at the Allegan Antique market last September(ish).
It was normal metal colored.


My husband thought/thinks I'm a weird-o.


I spray painted it red.
Cobwebs and all.
I was too impatient to clean it first.

Out of all my numerous pieces of fancy paper I liked the notebook paper flags the best.

It's actually funny to me that my husband doesn't comment on the crazy crap I put everywhere! HA! He's a smart man.

http://iheartnaptime.blogspot.com/

My New (Old) Goodwill Bowl

I love my new bowl.

IKEA: What I Wanted vs. What I got

So I carted my husband and child over to the Canton, MI Ikea today on the hunt for 2 white Hemnes 3 drawer chests. 

I planned to use them as night stands for our rather high bed.

When we got down to the warehouse area there WAS ONLY ONE LEFT...damn.

I seriously pondered the grey/brown color and the red color dresser for like 30 minutes while my husband grew more and more impatient.

white $199.99

(all other colors $149.99)

 Finally landed on this Koppang 3 drawer chest.

 It is slightly smaller scale and notably cheaper quality but now that they are together and put in place I really like them.

$99.99

They look pretty similar really.

I just liked the Hemnes better.

I'll post pictures tomorrow in the light of day of my new purchase!

YUM. Oatmeal Cookies!

Cozy.Cottage.Cute originally made these and hers are gorgeous!

Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
3 cups quick cooking oats
3/4 cups Ghirardelli milk chocolate chips (yum)


Directions:
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda.
In a separate bowl cream together shortening, butter, both sugars and vanilla. Beat in the eggs. Then beat in flour mixture. Add oatmeal and chocolate chips.
Drop dough by teaspoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove from oven and cool on rake.
Made about 3 dozen cookies.
Got original recipe from
Cozy.Cottage.Cute


P.S.
I initially added one cup of Quick oats instead of three.
Made 1 dozen of the craziest cookies ever and not sure I'll ever be able to chisel it all off the baking sheet!!!

Making a Cute New Wreath

I was in need of a craft day today.
I love little crafts.
Anyway I had one of those foam wreaths.
I wrapped it with brown paper at first thinking it was gonna be super cute.
Not so much...
So next try was fabric.
I didn't want to dig for the glue gun so I tacked everything on, except the buttons, using straight pins.

Cut 2 - 2 1/2 " strips of 

Cut 2 - 2 1/2 " strips of this cute fabric from Pink Chalk Fabrics.

Wrapped it around and pinned in place.

Same with the red ribbon

Aqua buttons glued on with glue that probably wont hold :)

you can see the glue peeking out of the buttons. It's still drying and hopefully will end up clear!
I like Red and Aqua!
And I also like crafting it up with things already in stock at my house!

Be Nice

Good Monday evening to ya!
I need this sign at work sometimes.
Yikes.

Carrot Cake Cupcakes for Mark's Birthday

Ingredients for Cupcakes:
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated carrots


Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Line 24 muffin cups with liners or grease them
Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger until blended.
In separate bowl whisk the sugar and oil. Whisk in eggs one ate a time.
Add Flour mixture and stir until blended.
Stir in Carrots.
Divide batter between cupcake molds.
Bake cupcakes for 14 to 18 minutes.
Cool for 5 minutes in pan.
Transfer to wire rack.


Ingredients for Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 8oz. packages of cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Beat cream cheese and butter until blended.
Add powdered sugar in 1/2 cup increments and mix until all blended
Frost your cupcakes!!


Grating carrots sucks.
Cupcakes rocked.
Frosting was ehhhh.


My buddy gave me a recipe for carrot cake that involves Coconut and crushed pineapple. I'm all for it but Mark hates pineapple and I'm afraid he'd detect it in there...

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

Last Summer I bought this frame and print at a thrift store.
I painted the frame and in the proccess I ruined the print.
I kind of liked it and thought of keeping it until I peeled back tape and picture came with it.

So the Frame went up and the print went in the closet until today.

I mod podged some off this cute craft paper to it.

Printed out my saying from microsoft.

Cut out each line so it would be easier to arrange.

\

Did the whole tracing thing.

Elmer's Paint Markers are great!

So it clipped to the Gate I just put on my mantel.

More on the Gate later.

It's a little small for the gate.

Some day I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.