When the basket costs more than the table and a makeover

For the longest time I was the mom who said " food in the kitchen only"  "drinks at the counter" "use a plate for your crumbs" to my kids.....repeatedly.

In fact, to help fight the temptation of not having food outside of the kitchen, and only because I wanted less to clean, I didn't even have a coffee table for the kids to put their cheeze it's and juice bags on until I saw this table and the price.

In fact the basket that sits on top costs more than the kids snack table   coffee table it sits on. But please don't let me mislead you to think that the $10.00 bargain looked this pretty at the check out.

Cause it didn't. In fact it was so horrendous ( aka  meaning I forgot)  I didn't even get a before shot of the top, just the bottom and it looked pretty much the same on top.  I am pretty sure that you get what it looked like.

After 2 coats of Old White and sanding it down I realize that the chippy look well ........ looked a little too chippy. Besides I was probably going to see more chips than I wanted to by lifting the "no food " ban.

So I applied another color ( Dried Plantain- Behr) to the entire top. I 'lightly' distressed the outer perimeter and left the center a solid color with no distressing. The final coat was a protective finish.

And although the food ban is now lifting from the family room, mom is happy with how the table turned out and the kids are happy that they have someplace to put their snacks on while watching tv.

Oh and the fabulous basket that's great for magazines and remotes....$20.00 Hobby Lobby.

 Grateful for~

A nice long weekend to love on the family and eat snacks while watching tv.

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The Best Part Of Waking Up.......

So tell me, what's the best  part of your morning?

Would you say it’s hearing someone say good morning... or maybe it’s saying good morning to someone else?

Is it getting out of bed first to wake the family?

Is it to kiss your kids when they awake and open their eyes for the first time that day?

Is it hitting the snooze button over and over, before you realize you need to get up?

Maybe it is looking out the window to take a peek at the beautiful sunrise.

If you are into fitness, maybe it is a quick jog around the track, working out at the gym or a walk in the park with the family pet?

Perhaps it is reading the daily paper to catch up on the news.  It could be eating a healthy breakfast instead of that chocolate filled donut that you really want.

Or maybe if it’s a little like mine, it’s the chance for just a few precious moments to sit at my table and be thankful for another day... to read…to journal... to think about the day's busy schedule… am I picking the kids up from school or is my husband? ... Think about getting the dogs groomed… schedule a dentist appointment for the kids ... remind my husband to fix the front pasture fence… remembering to pick up the dry cleaning… stop at the store for some bananas and milk… all while drinking some coffee and listening to some music to get my day going.  

My daily ritual that I just love, really helps to shape my day, and my family's. You know what they say, “If mama’s not happy, nobody’s happy.” And it shouldn’t surprise you that music and coffee are now helping to shape young peoples' lives as well by supporting musical creativity. 

Even though my children are young I can see how music is shaping their lives just as my morning ritual shapes my day.  From the music we listen to while in the car, to music activities in their school, to the music and sounds in the house, it is all shaping their creativity for their future.

And I would say that’s a ritual worth having in their life.

Folgers asked me to write about my morning rituals and tell you all about the jingle contest they are having! Take a look at the Folgers® Jingle Contest Finalists, and listen to the tracks that earned them a spot in The Top 10. Cast your vote once every day through June 19th. You could win exciting prizes, like free Folgers Coffee, iTunes® gift cards, signed CDs from Gavin DeGraw, and even a $10,000 Grand Prize just for voting! Before you vote, follow the Road to the Jingle on Facebook to see how they traveled the U.S. to track down the Top 10 contestants! Remember, you can vote once a day through June 19th! Click here for official rules.

PS- This is a sponsored post from Folgers but the things I think about sitting at my table, drinking coffee  before I get my day going ....are just mine. 
PPS- I really want that chocolate filled donut!

Grateful for~

Those few precious moments every morning 

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How I took the Bachelor out of the dresser..Furniture Makeover

This is a story of a guy, a girl........ and a dresser . 

Once upon a time when the girl first met guy he was a hunky, hot, eligible bachelor. She.... a creative, smart, DIY bachelorette and not so bad to look at her self.

And although the guy was really hunky, his furniture ....well not so hot,but the girl fell in love anyways and since she was creative, she saw the possibilities in him and his furniture. 

 
And so the years passed, dating, marriage, kids and that same ole bachelor dresser.
 Their life was abundantly blissful and full of so much love for each other but unfortunately not so much for the dresser.... But all that was about to change.

 See, that's where the creative girl who saw the possibilities years ago transformed that dresser and gave it a new life and purpose.... as a credenza in her office.

In the end, the hunky guy was still smitten and very much in love with the creative, smart, DIY and not so bad to look at girl, and she with him. 

And the couple and credenza lived happily ever after.
The end.

PS- To see more of my home office click here.

Grateful for~

The guy

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Family Room Teaser

Do you ever get ahead of yourself....

and fall behind at the same time? 

 Chomping at the bit to start a new project, only to look around at all the unfinished one's? 

So that be me...and my family room. 

The hangout. 

The hub.

The place where the family congregates.

The place where I have no chance at the TV remote, and just lovingly smile through another episode of How's It Made with my husband.

But see this is where I get ahead of myself, wanting to show you the latest changes to the space without sharing the history and the "few" transformations of the room.

Oh and before I forget...did I tell you that this space that we all cuddle up on the couch on, was not even intended to be a family room and rather a screened in porch?

See after a "favorable" builder blunder, meaning we were actually glad that he screwed up, we were able to create a fully functional room by putting in windows and some solid flooring.

And just as fast as that remote changed the TV, so did the colors and styles of the space. We installed a wood burning stove and  years later an air conditioning unit, so until then, the room was primarily used in the fall and winter months....

Thus my fall like color pallet.

So after installing the air conditioner and feeling cooler, we quickly realized that we wanted to make better use of the space,  but not until I decided to lighten it up and change out the furniture for a  more "sun room" feel.

 

I think it's when we found a solution to move our TV into the room, that we began to use the term "family room" more freely to describe the space. So walls were painted, furniture cycled  it's way throughout the house and all was good and cozy, until.......

  I found this $10.00 coffee table.

  More on that, my stone floors and the latest room changes coming soon. After all..... I don't want to get ahead of myself, now do I.
So tell me , do you ever get ahead of yourself too?

Grateful for~

A loving husband of 14 years.... that I wish I knew my whole life

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My Next Kitchen Assistant?

You know, I am still not sure I have what it takes to transform my

kitchen from this.....

to my inspiration kitchen...something like this

image credit

So it just so happens in my town of 500, there's not only a Piggly Wiggly around the corner but a Home Depot within driving distance.  And not only does Home Depot sell replacement cabinets but they also do cabinet refacing and refinshing. The three R's.

Be sure to check out the video below and see why Home Depot may just be my next kitchen assistant!

  

PS- You can see all of my kitchen ideas on my inspiration board here

Grateful for~

The chance to be apart of my kids end of school year activites.

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Be Careful What You Ask For!

Now don't get me wrong, I know I  have shared a few of my builders blunders here and here  but in all honesty, he did some things right..... well almost.....before we fired him anyways.

We went through an extensive interviewing process with a few of the local builders in our area. We selected our builder because he was was willing to let my husband and I put some of our own sweat equity into the house. My builder also came with a "specialty". 
You know, that builders trademark. 

You know, the thing that we absolutely had to have. 

The thing that we would not be able to add later down the road.

The thing that we would regret if we didn't add.

Well, in all this time, all 10 years of living in our home I can honestly say with no hesitation that I have not regretted that decision until....... recently, when I had to paint that trademark ceiling.

 You know, that signature quadruple 4 tier why didn't we do a standard when we built the house ceiling.

Without sounding like I am all that with a paint brush, I do consider myself to be the closet thing to a professional painter while retaining non-professional status, and this ceiling was a challenge. It took me more time to get this finished then most other paint projects. With the constant up and down on the ladder, two coats of the new color and two coats of the new trim color and head tilted back in an upright position, it was a bit more work then I thought it would be when I took the project on.

But this story does end on a good note. Other then some trim work around the windows, the painting is finally just about done.

Here's a sneak peek at the bedroom. When I get the new bedding and curtains up, I will show you the finished space.

So tell me, do you paint your ceilings or leave that for someone else?

PS- Moral of the story... when considering quadruple trey ceilings.....DON'T!

Grateful for~

Patience when painting

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The Best Pineapple Upside Cake You Will Ever Eat

Yes, you read  that correctly ...... The Best! 

And what's even more amazing about this delectable, finger licking, best Pineapple Upside Cake you'll ever eat, is how it's cooked.  Ready.... Cast iron skillet.... Really.

Most of us know a cast iron skillet for frying, searing and making up a batch of grandma's favorite cornbread.   But did you know cast iron has been around for 2500 years and if you season the pans  properly they can last for generations?

Cast Iron Skillet Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients

1 can of pineapple slices

2/3 cup butter
 3/4 cup brown sugar
Yellow Cake mix
1 jar of Maraschino Cherries
1/2 cup to a cup of chopped Pecan pieces* optional

1.  Place pineapples in the butter, sugar and pecan mixture. Put
cherries in the center of the pineapple. Cut the slices of
pineapple into halves and line the sides of the cast iron skillet
with them (standing up on edge).
2. Prepare a box of yellow cake mix following the directions on
the box to mix the batter (do not bake in a separate pan;
follow instructions below).
3. Pour the batter over the pineapple and cherries.

4. Bake at 350°F degrees. When the cake is done, loosen the
edges with a butter knife. Remove from heat and allow to sit
five minutes, then turn it upside down on a serving dish.

 Yes, generations of eating a cake from a skillet that is so moist and delicious that by the time

 you get in line for your piece... it will be all gone!  

Have you ever cooked a cake in a cast iron skillet before?

PS- To read the history and how to "season" your cast iron cookware click here.

Grateful for~

The chance to be able to head to Florida this weekend to be with my sister, Ron and Heather and the rest of my family.

Sharing at~
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I Love The Underdog and a New Coffee Station

I don't know what it is, but I have always cheered for the underdog. The guy, gal, team or furniture, that has so much potential but

 just can't .......... make it

Until I saw this piece of course. Sitting there in the corner of the twins preschool with all the other 1970's oak wood rejects. 

Waiting to be discovered. 

Waiting to be heard. 

Wanting to get out of detention hall.

I had a vision for this soon to be coffee station, for the teachers that help shape my kids lives and......drink coffee.

Wanting so bad to be noticed and to fit in, I began to think of ways to help my little underdog out using a sign from the preschool as my inspiration.

 After a good cleaning and sanding , I applied some primer to the base. 
That alone got it out of detention.

The rest of the plan was simple.  Paint the base with two coats in blue and stain the top with a few coats of stain in ebony .

Now, not only is my underdog turning heads, it's been invited to this years prom and was voted most likely to succeed by all the other left over 1970's oak furniture and.....

 from the teachers drinking their morning coffee.

Who or what's the last underdog that you helped out?

Grateful for~
The gals over at First Baptist Preschool for the love and learning that they share with my children.
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