Let's Get Crafty: End Table

Before

After

Clean Eating: Whole Wheat Bread (Bread Machine or Oven)

Clean Eating Whole Wheat Bread

      -          1 ½ teaspoon sea salt

-          1 ½ teaspoon dry yeast (in the packet)

-          3 cup whole wheat flour

-          1 banana (the more brown the better)

-          3 tbsp honey

-          1 1/8 c warm water

-          1 tablespoon coconut oil (comes in a jar and looks like wax, I got mine at Trader Joes)

o   You could also probably use butter/margarine/canola-vegetable-olive oil)

You can make this several ways:

1-Mix all of these in the bread maker and cook it on the light or medium whole wheat bread setting

2- Put all ingredients in bread maker and run on dough cycle, then cook in the oven at 350* for 40 minutes.

3- Mix all ingredients by hand.  Cover with a cool cloth and wait about an hour until the bread has risen.  Cook at 350* for 40 minutes.

I ate one piece with Skippy Natural peanut butter (peanuts and <1% salt and other ingredients) and 1 slice with strawberry spread, no sugar added. Both were DELICIOUS.

I found the recipe below and changed it up at bit:

http://cleaneatingmag.com/Recipes/Recipe/Clean-Whole-Wheat-Bread.aspx

Let's Get Crafty: French Provincial Buffet

My dining room needed an update, and QUICK.  It had random, cheap furniture I had acquired through college and tons of alcohol bottles and random clutter.  I wanted a credenza/buffet/sideboard/insert other fancy word here.  Of course I turned to trusty Craigslist and found a dresser that I thought would work with a little help.  The French Provincial style is so feminine and pretty.  The hardware is gorgeous with the curves and detailing.

Once we got to the house to check it out we realized it was not solid wood but had a veneer finish. We almost left it because we weren't sure we could paint over it but I REALLY wanted it and decided that if there is a will, there is a way.  I whipped out my phone and did some Google-ing (what did we do before Google, and GPS for that matter!). As long as you prime veneer furniture with OIL BASED primer you are good to go. YAY!  We loaded it up in Rhiannon's truck and I had a new project!

After and accessories.  The pictures above were my mom's mom that died before I was born.  The ballerinas go perfectly with the soft, feminine mood of the room.

Original hardware.

Dresser primed and painted with cream.

Drawer primed and painted cream.

Drawers painted gray with cream trim.

Spray painted hardware with black lacquer.

So much better than the dingy white and gold.

Before and After!

Dining Room Before and After

Let's Get Crafty: Trash to Treasure Dresser

I often look on Craigslist under the Free section to see what people are just giving away.  I have seen so many amazing things and can't believe what people give away - buffets/credenza, sofas, tables, etc. 

This guy was listed on there along with a bed frame.  They weren't too far away and I was able to con one of my friends into going to pick it up (thank Will).  Not being able to fit things into my little car makes me miss the Jeep, but then I go fill up my entire tank for $40 and drive it for 10 days...then I don't miss the Jeep as much!

I always prime any furniture I paint, it makes the paint stick SO much better and give a much more even finish.  I just primed this with gray spray paint.

I painted the entire dresser a cream color and put the hardware back on to see how it was looking.  The handles are extremely thin, pliable metal and I wanted something more substantial.  I decided I wanted to have antique spoons as the handles!  The search for these took a while because I wanted to PERFECT ones, I ended up finding some I liked at Shabby Lane Antiques in North Raleigh.

My brother bent the spoons with a vice into a rounded shape and drilled holes into them so I could attach the spoons to the drawers.  The holes in the drawers didn't match up so I had to use wood fill and wait for that to dry and then drill new holes.

                                     
Here I am marking the drawer for new holes. (Yes I have a onesie on, judge me.  It was cold!)

                                    

Drilling holes.

I painted another dresser with a gray, black, and creme color scheme and decided that this dresser would look good with a similar scheme since they were going to be in the same room.  Goodbye cream drawers, hello gray drawers!

After the paint dried I attached the spoons! Ta Da!



Before



After

                                                                           

 

               

 And finally, here is it all set up in the dining room!

What a difference a fresh coat of paint and accessories can do!



Painted Bookshelf

Let's Get Crafty: Framed Gallery Wall

Let's Get Crafty: Teacup Candle DIY Tutorial

I saw teacups made into candles a while back on Georgica Pond and have been dying to make some.  I found 3 teacups at Theives Market for $1 each, BUT they were on sale 20%.  80 cents each, $2.40 for all 3. Man, I LOVE good deals.

Supplies:

- Teacups ($2.40)

- Wick: I used braided, small size ($1.99 for 20')

- Metal thingies ($1.99)

- Wax ($3.99)

- Hot glue gun (Already have)

- Double Broiler (Makeshift double broiler on hand)

- Fragrance (Lavendar and Honey Almond ($2.49 each)

Step One: String wick though metal and hot glue to the bottom of the teacup.

Step Two: Find a strong boy and get him to chop up the wax, that stuff is HARD to break up!

Step Three: Throw in the double broiler and melt it down. Once everything is melted you can add color or fragrance. Note: Do NOT try to use gel food coloring -it doesn't melt or mix properly.

Step Four: Pour melted wax into teacups.  Make sure to hold the wick so it doesn't fall down into the hot wax. Check out the blue tint in the pot - FAIL! 

Step Five: Tie the wicks onto something to hold it upright so it dries properly, I used skewer sticks I had on hand.

Step Six: Enjoy your new candles :0)