TRASH TO TREASURE

I have been so uncreative lately and it was really bothering me!  I love how my latest project turned out as I think I can use it in multiple settings. 

I hosted Thanksgiving again this year and needed a table centerpiece.  I didn't want to spend alot of money so I started scouring the thrift stores around town.  I bought every ugly brass candlestick holder I could find.  I actually spend more than I wanted for them.  They ranged anywhere from $1-3.  I got them all home and this is what I had:

Just a modge podge of ugliness.  I primed and painted them all a metallic color and here is what they looked like on my table:

So I scattered my little tray with leaves and baby pumpkins and grouped all of the candles together.  This same arrangement is on my dining room table right now but I changed it a little:

I put fake snow and silver pine cones around the candlesticks.  You could do anything with this.  It may look pretty grouped together on the mantel too?  I'll try that next!

Jules

I'm BAAAAACK!!  I have been a blog dropout since April!  I have been so crazy busy with the family and the kids that I haven't had time for much.  This fall was REDONK with sports activities.  Now that Baseball (a huge time commitment) and football are over I finally feel like I can breathe a little.  I sort of lost myself there for a few months.  I knew having three boys would be tough but GOOD GOD I'm not sure I signed up for this!!  I wish I could just roll with it and enjoy but I tend to get stressed out and grumpy.  This fall I almost got kind of depressed which is odd because I am such a happy person.  I just didn't enjoy every single night of the week running kids around.  We NEVER ate dinner together and homework was so stressfull because we were always in a rush to get out of the door for a game or for a practice.  My husband coached one of the baseball teams which was hard too because as soon as he got home from work he had to turn right around and go.  I got a little resentful because I was home all day with the little guy and then home at night alone with the little guy.  Ok, ok, enough of the blah, blah, blah complaining.  The only sport both of the boys have right now is basketball which is great.  We get to eat dinner together most nights which I love.  Here are some pics of what has been going on since April.....

Family Vacay to Destin, Fla. which we road tripped to!  Such a great spot.  We are considering going again.

My Little Nick turned 3!

Brady started tackle football which I HATED!   It was so violent.  I could write a whole blog post on that.  We will save it for another time!

Bradester had another season with the Gators which the hubs helped coach.

Jake played another season with the wolves.  He had an injury this fall and couldn't pitch which he is really good at!  Hopefully he will heal up and be ready to go for spring.

Really there is so much more and I have been so completely and unacceptably awful about taking photos of the kids.  I take alot with my iphone now instead of my rebel.  I am going to be better now that I have a tiny bit more time.  I haven't even had time to be crafty or sew anything.  I just started doing a few little projects here and there that I will share soon!

Jules

PEEPS!

I had to share my Easter decoration.  Of course I got it off of Pinterest.  I just used two square glass vases.  You put a cup or small container in the center to hold your flowers of choice.  You put a layer of jelly beans down and then top that with peeps:

A florist I am not.  I am sure a bouquet of perfectly arranged tulips would look much more appealing but I just decided to use what I had in my yard.  I snipped a bunch of lilacs from out front and put together my table decoration.  The lilacs perfumed my whole house for days.  I used two of these along with my mock milkglass vases on my dining room table.  I didn't get a picture of it all together but it looked very "Eastery." 

I got the vases at Bed, Bath and Beyond in case you were wondering.  Of course I scoured the thrift stores but just couldn't find the shape I needed.  I sucked it up and bought these which I know I will use over and over again. 

Easter is always so great.  We spend the morning having brunch with my Dad and then we always have the rest of our family over for dinner.  This year everyone brought something thus making it a non-stressful event.  My husband missed his calling in being a chef/cook.  Everything he makes is amazing.  He brined a turkey and I swear it was the best turkey I have ever had.  I am not even a turkey girl.  I made a lemon pudding cheesecake that I need to post the recipe for.  It is my go to spring/summer dessert.  It is always a crowd pleaser.  How did you spend your Easter?

Jules

RESURRECTION ROLLS

Easter is tomorrow and I just really don't want my kids to think that Easter is about candy and bunnies and eggs.  I want them to know the real reason that we celebrate Easter.  They already know about how Jesus died and was resurrected but I just wanted to hammer home what this really means.  I have been wanting to do this for the past few Easters but sadly life has just been so busy.  It is so silly to think about.  I think, at least my family, really needs to settle down and quit being in such a hurry all of the time.  The kids are so active with extra-curricular activities that it is really making life a little stressful.  I understand that I have 3 boys and my life will probably never again be at a relaxed pace but I all I wanted was just a 30 minute block of full attention time from my three little beasts sweeties.  I was sort of successful in that mission except for the 2 year old said sweetie   had no idea what I was doing and was talking the whole time (sigh).  At least I tried and I know that my older two got a little lesson out of it.  We made resurrection rolls.  So the ingredients are few.  You need 1 can of refrigerated crescent roll dough, 8 large marshmallows, melted butter and a cinnamon/sugar mixture.  The marshmallow represents Jesus because it is all white and pure and without sin.  You dip the marshmallow in melted butter representing the embalming oils:

Next you put the buttered up marshmallow in the cinnamon/sugar mixture representing the spices used to prepare his body for burial:

Next you wrap the marshmallow in the crescent roll dough to represent Jesus being entombed.  Be sure and really seal the edges well.  I learned this the hard way.  As the marshmallow cooks and it isn't sealed properly it becomes a HUGE mess on your baking pan.  And if you are like me and wait to clean the pan the cooled marshmallow is really hard to scrub off of your pan.

Please disregard that my pans are very well "seasoned."  I promise you they are clean.  After so many years my pans begin to look gross!  Anyway...the next step is to pop them into a pre-heated 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes.  During that 12 minutes I read John 20:1-18 in the Bible.  I was surprised that my children really understood.  We talked about how crazy that must have been for Mary to find Jesus missing in his tomb only to realize that he was alive behind her! 
So then you pull out your rolls and cut into them and the marshmallow is gone representing Jesus.  He has risen!!!

Not only was it a good memorable lesson but these rolls tasted really good too!  They tasted just like cinnamon rolls.  Everyone loved them!
I just love Easter because it is a time to share with family members without all of the hoopla of Christmas.  All the stress of presents and such.  My kids do get a little somethin somethin on Easter but not like Christmas!  Have a happy Easter!!!!

Jules

CAKE POPS

My new favorite recipe!  This is very kid friendly and adult friendly.  I like them because it is just a little tiny dessert. If I eat one I know it is just a dainty portion so I don't feel to guilty.  My kids of course love it when I put sprinkles on them but I just prefer them plain.

Cake Pops:
1 box cake mix (I used Duncan Hines devils food cake)
1 can of frosting (I used plain ol chocolate
1 package chocolate bark
2 TBSP vegetable shortening (crisco)
pop sticks (you can get them at any craft store), you could also just use toothpicks

Make cake according to box.  While the cake is still hot crumble it up into a bowl and make it turn into crumbs:

I just take two forks and break it up until it is really fine.  Next take about 1/2 of your container of frosting and just mix it in until the cake looks like this:

Looks kinda gross doesn't it?  I assure you it isn't!  Then I just took about 2 TBSP of this mixture and rolled them into balls and stuck my sticks in:

One cake mix box makes about 2 dozen cake balls.  I may or may not have eaten alot some of the cakey/frosting mixture leaving only about 1 1/2 dozen.  Anyway, next step is to put the balls into the fridge for an hour or two to sort of cool and set up.  After they are pretty firm you melt your chocolate with the shortening.  I just used the microwave.  I have tried this without the shortening and the chocolate was not thin enough to coat the balls nicely.  If you add the shortening it just makes the chocolate really smooth and much easier to handle.  So just dip the chilled balls into the chocolate and place on some wax paper:

You can keep them plain or dip them in sprinkles:

Put them back in the fridge to set and you are done!  Go do it and your kids and friends and neighbors will be impressed.  Not only are they cool looking but they are seriously yummy!

Jules

IT"S PINK!

Being surrounded by testosterone almost 100% of the time (even my dog is a boy) I was THRILLED to get to host a baby shower for one of my Sister in Laws.  Very rarely do I get to have my house all girly and pink.  I had such a fun time decorating for the event.  Beware this post is picture heavy...
Here is a picture of my living room all decked out:

So those pom pom thingys in the corners were really easy and cheap to make.  I made a total of 9.  To find out how to make those just google tissue paper pom poms.  That is what I did and they turned out perfect.  They don't take up much time to make either.  No baby shower is complete without the "clothesline."  I made all of the onesies and this little reversible outfit:

This is an awful picture but this outfit is adorbs!  Since I sell baby clothes and accessories I can't very well show up at a shower with a store bought baby blankie so I made her this one:

Here is a picture of my dining room:

Those two ball "topiaries" are just made out of cupcake wrappers.  I just pinned them onto a foam ball and stuck them on some candlestick holders.  Super easy peasy.  The diaper cake is actually recycled from my baby shower for little Nick.  I just changed out the ribbon and put it on top of my DIY cakestand.  I bought a piece of pink satin fabric and just draped it over the table.  I didn't even hem it.  I'm ghetto like that.  I'm sure everyone left the party appalled?  It was perfect to incorporate some Easter decorating since the colors of Easter are pastel and feminine.  I just threw a bunch of jelly beans and pastel colored M & M's on the table to make it not seem so boring.  Next is a pic of my mantel area in my Hearth room:

I just threw up some pink tulle and used some Easter decor I had.  Of course I had to use my Mason jars to display some baby pink and white roses.

I made this garland using bias tape and doily's:

Here's a closeup:

All you do is cut a doily in half and sandwich in between some bias tape a sew a straight line and you are done.  I love how it turned out and it was so easy. 

  I offered to make a cake or some sort of dessert but one of my Sister in Laws insisted on making this masterpiece and I'm sure everyone is glad she did! 

It's called a hummingbird cake.  The only way I can describe it is it is sort of like a carrot cake but more tropical.  There was pineapple and banana in it.  She dehydrated the pineapple herself and decorated the cake with them.  It was delish!
Two of my Sister in Laws (I have 6) may or may not have gone out late at night and ripped these off from some one's yard. They said it was sort of a "common area" where they got them but I am suspicious.  Aren't they beautious?

Lucky for me I still have them adorning my dining room table:

One last pic of the beautiful mom to be:

Anna is such a blessing and I know she is going to be an amazing mother.  I can't wait to watch her journey!

Jules

BELIEVE THE HYPE

I have been on a health kick lately.  I haven't ever mentioned it on the blog but I am really working at being healthy.  I have already lost 12 pounds and have another 5 to go.  On my health quest I am always looking for healthy snacks.  Most of my snacks these days consist of a fruit or a veggie.  I have seen on several websites about how delicious baked Kale is.  Baked kale?  Sounds weird I know.  I think kale is the stuff at restaurants that they garnish your plate with.  It is a thick green that in my opinion sort of tastes like broccoli.  It has to be healthy because it is green.  Anything green is healthy right?  I followed directions and I got my kale and separated it from the thick woody stems.

 I just broke them into bite size pieces.  I put a tiny olive oil on and a sprinkle of sea salt.

 I baked them at 350 for about 15 minutes.  I took them out and tasted and I couldn't believe what I was tasting.  I couldn't believe that this was health food.  It was so crunchy kind of like a potato chip.  It is a delicate crunch that is really addicting.  You HAVE to make it and try it.  I can see myself baking up a pan of kale for my next movie night while everyone else is eating popcorn.  It is salty like popcorn too.  I just can't say enough about how good this was.  To further support my argument on how tasty this is my extremely, annoyingly picky 9 year old crushed a whole pan of this stuff!  He had a buddy over and they went to town and loved it.  My son's friend went home and told his mom about it and wanted her to make some too.

Seriously, if you have problems with your kids eating vegetables try this!

Jules

CHALKBOARD PAINT PLATTER

I have been really trying to come up with ideas to use up the rest of my chalkboard paint.  As much as I would love to take credit for this one I will give credit where credit is due.  I saw this idea on a blog that I read called http://www.thenatos.blogspot.com/.  It is a GREAT blog.  I get alot out of it.  Anyway...I got these two silver plates/platters at the dollar store:

I taped off the edges with painters tape and foam brushed on my chalkboard paint like so:

I used one of them for the baby shower I just had.  Yes, I understand that a wishing tree is a little cheezed out but I did this in lieu of any ridiculous baby games like guess how big mom's belly is or a silly word search or something.  No offense if you are into that sort of thing-I just hate baby shower games.  At least with the wishing tree the mom to be got to take home a memento of sorts.  Here is the final product:

After posting this picture I just realized that my handwriting is atrocious!  Geez..embarrassing!  If you are confused about a wishing tree here is a picture of the whole shebang:

I just used scrapbook paper and cut it up and tied a little ribbon to it so people could hang the note on the tree.  I have sooooo many more pics to share regarding the baby shower.  Stay tuned!!!