Pirate Party!!

My boys turned 6 and 2 this week and since they both like Jake and the Neverland Pirates I had a pirate treasure themed party.

One of the kid’s favorite parts was the treasure dig game. I bought play sand and a big container at party city and buried gold coins, costume necklaces and rings.

The boys loved hitting the Pirate Ship Pinata.

I found this sign at a thrift shop for a dollar and painted it and added stickers for the front door!

For the tables I used burlap, antique pirate ships, and plastic figurines and crocodiles.

 

 

 

The kids were able to pick an eye patch and decorate it with pirate stickers that I picked up at the dollar store.

I made the cake using fondant for the gold doubloons and Peter Pan figurines. The inside was multicolored.

Everyone took home a Pirate’s Booty cake ball and a bag of pinata candy and treasure!

 

 

5 Minute Upgrade!

I get extremely giddy about home do it yourself projects. Much to the dismay of my loving husband I literally have a whole page of projects, both big and small, that I want to get done in the upcoming months. More often than not I purchase the items needed, draw up a plan, and then end up having to put the DIY project off for weeks because of other things. Instead of getting disappointed I usually just do smaller projects until I can get back to the really exciting one. I call these my 5 minute DIYs.

{After our media cabinet sat in the living room for a couple of months, I felt that she needed some jewelry and these knobs just weren’t gettin’ it.}

I went to Anthropologie in search of some knobs and found these on clearance for $2.95 marked down from $10 each!! I scooped up two matching blue knobs and one black and white knob in the same style and headed home.

{I unscrewed the existing knobs and secured the new ones in under two minutes}

I think it upgrades the whole piece!! It has gone from looking like something from a thrift store that I got for thirty bucks {which I did} to a piece from Crate and Barrel!!

Italian Chicken

Italian Chicken is my go to recipe for when I have no idea what to make for dinner (i.e whenever the husband says “whatever you want to make”.)  It is easy enough for a week night but fancy enough for a dinner party. Above all, it’s extremely easy to throw together this delicious meal.

{Gather your ingredients: 2-3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, 2 eggs, milk, Italian breadcrumbs, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Parmesan cheese, diced garlic, and Panko bread crumbs}

The first step requires a little bit of prep but the rest is easy peasy.

After cutting each breast into strips, prep an assembly line by first breaking two eggs into a bowl and adding a couple of tablespoons of milk. Next, make a mixture of 3/4 cup Italian Bread Crumbs, 1/3 cup of Panko Bread Crumbs, and 1 cup of Parmesan Cheese. The final step of preparation is to pour 1/3 cup of olive oil and about 5 shakes of balsamic vinegar to a large baking dish. Now you can get to work making the chicken amazing.

 

{Dip your chicken into the egg mixture.}

Then coat the piece with breadcrumb mixture.}

{Then lay the chicken strip into your prepare baking dish.}

Mix together 1/2 a cup of Olive Oil, 1/3 cup of Balsamic Vinegar, and 3 teaspoons of the chopped Garlic. Pour this mixture over the top of the chicken top it with as much parmesan as you like, and bake for 30 minutes on 500 degrees.}

{Serve with a big heaping serving of mashed potatoes and Italian loaf bread and enjoy!!}

 

 

 

 

 

 

Patio Furniture Revival

Patio furniture always costs a pretty penny when you buy it new. While our small patio had been bare for nearly two years I finally found something used with a ton of potential. I was partially so excited because it meant that we would have something to look at when we looked out onto the patio through the french doors.

{I ran across the set at my local Goodwill when I was looking for some storage baskets and even though she needed some TLC with her rusted blah hunter green color, at just 30 bucks for the table and chairs I knew it was just what my empty back porch needed.}

{First I wiped down the entire set with Clorox Anywhere Spray. This was an absolute necessity since there was a lot of gunk and paint on the table top.}

{After getting rid of the rust on the table using a wire brush and a buffing block, I taped off and primed the entire piece with Krylon spray primer and then painted it with a bright blue Rustoleum color to make sure it wouldn’t rust again.}

 The chairs are next. I envision a blue or white patio umbrella with lantern lights and a nice white outdoor rug too. I think it is on its way to being a great place for us to eat grilled food or for me to enjoy my morning coffee.

{This outdoor fabric from Waverly for the cushions and possibly a table cloth styled with blue napkins.}

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simple Changes for a New Space

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sofa table

I tend to get bored with a room quickly if it doesn’t have enough visual interest. I find myself changing the decorative items almost weekly and never liking the result completely. Instead of continuing to change out a couple of knickknacks this past week, I went a little crazy in my living room but the results created a lot of impact and little by little I’m evolving my home into a style I want to permanently keep.

My earlier post detailed the addition of my very graphic and patterned curtains and with their addition into the living room I suddenly wanted to create an entirely new look to the space.

By also removing the recliner from the corner, I was able to add an antique table in front of the curtains.}

{Bringing in the console table from the dining room int he form of a sofa table pulls it out from the wall and helps to make the room look larger.}

{A simpler grouping of beautiful things makes the area and the room appear less cluttered}

Graphic Curtains

It has been two years in this house with out appropriate curtains and I finally got around to/ had room in the budget to make some. We needed thick, lined curtains with a beautiful graphic pattern in both our living room and our bedroom.

{This is Delilah. She looks like just an ordinary table…}

{She is anything but ordinary. This is my sewing table that was gifted to me by my Granddaddy. The last gift I received before he passed away and one of my most prized possessions. The sewing machine may be old (from the 50′s) but this gal can do wonders! Instead of spending a ridiculous amount on them pre-made I bought the fabric I wanted and made them myself. My husband doubted my sewing prowess and choice of fabric at first but after I got them up he realized he was wrong…as always when it comes to my design vision.

{These curtains are just…oh man I can’t even put into words how happy I am with them. The Chevron from Waverly fabric that I scooped up for 11 bucks a yard is definitely rocking my world as floor to ceiling curtains. It makes me love my living room so much so much, in fact I decided to change it completely to showcase the new curtains. Pictures will be coming in upcoming posts of what I did. }

After years of having rails and a headboard we upgraded to a luxurious tufted, fabric covered brown bed. With out the color from the headboard it made the room very blah. I found this Waverly fabric on clearance for 8 bucks for 4 yards so I made a panel for each side of the bed to give it a new punch of color.

Chalkboard Dresser

This awful chipped black dresser has been in my family for years. It was my yellow dresser with flower knobs when I was little and has since been painted every color to match the preference of whoever had it at the time. When Hayden was born we sanded the whole thing and painted it black to match his black Jenny Lind Crib and it has been in his room ever since.

{After many years of being banged up and abused by my child (not to mention the stickers that were use to make it more to his liking) the glossy black has turned to a faded almost gray color and gave me a great idea. First I had to prep it.}

{My go to product for removing gunk or stickers from furniture is mayonnaise. It may seem odd but it definitely does the job. Leave the condiment on for an hour while you cook , clean, etc. and then use a credit card edge or a paint scraper and go to town on that bad boy!}

Remove the hardware from the drawers. Lightly sand the piece and spray on two thin coats of chalkboard paint. I used Krylon and allowed it to cure for at least 12 hours before touching it with chalk. After that you will need to condition it by rubbing chalk all over the piece and then erasing it. Then draw something on it and put it the room.

{The finished project minus the drawer pulls! It is very black in person even though it doesn’t look it in person. Hayden and Lane drew on it for a good two hours which, in this house, was an amazing two hours!}

So there you have it folks! Is there anything that you have been dying to take a can of spray paint to?

 

Impromtu Snow Cones

 

 

Even though we are in December it was in the 70′s outside today. I decided that the best way to combat the unseasonably warm weather was with snow cones. My 5 year old was all for it and helped make them. All it took was a few pulses in my  food processor and then I used a large ice cream scoop to form the ball part. I then positioned each one in a tea cup before adding the snow cone syrup! Enjoy!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About Face- From Splurge to Steal

I have never have thought designer labels were the most important thing when it comes to clothes. Sure I would enjoy a pair of J. Brand Jeans just as much as the next girl but, alas my children come first and therefore I don’t find these luxuries at the top of my priority list. I am, however, a complete and utter label addict when it comes to my makeup. With Christmas coming up and kids toy prices on the rise,  I decided as long as I could find exact dups that I would switch to cheaper versions. Here is what I have found for the face.

My Current Face Products:

1. Dior Skinflash Radiance Pen in the color Candlelight – Use to disguise dark circles or as a highlighter. $37.00
2. Diorskin Forever Flawless Perfection Wear Makeup in the color Ivory 010. $47.00

3. Dior Hydra Life Comfort Creme- The best moisturizer that I have ever used. It leaves the skin hydrated and soft. $56.00

4. Bare Minerals Foundation in Fairly Light- Sets your liquid foundation and concealer and gives a flawless finish.  $26.00

5. MAC Fix Plus Spray- Use to completely set your entire face of makeup, as a base, and to foil pigmented eye shadows. $20.00

These are my favorite face products. They may be pricey but since it’s the only thing that I splurge on, I think they are well worth the price, especially since they last for months.

For a less expensive version, here are some amazing dups (Most of which can be found at Target, or Tarjay as I like to call it.)

1. Boots Number 7 Radiant Glow Concealer $12.99

2. Boots Number 7 Stay Perfect Foundation $13.99

3. Olay Moisterizer Total Effects ( The highest rated Drugstore Moisterizer out there!) $18.99

4. Palladio Rice Powder ( I use the color natural, works as well as Bare Minerals in setting foundation and covering up any flaws) $3.99

5. Mark Opportunity Multi-tasking Refresher Face Mist (Works the same as MAC Fix Plus but for a fraction of the cost)  $7.99

6. MILANI Luminous  (Almost an exact dup to Nars Orgasm) $5.99

7. Boots no17 Instant Glow Bronzing Powder (An amazing alternative to Nars Laguna and Benefit Hoola for only $12.00

Hope this list of dups helps for those of you who are trying to do the same!
XX,

Danielle

My Knock Off Decor is Getting Featured!!

We all do it. We online shop and dream of putting together our home using expensive decor. The reality check comes only when you go to your cart and realize how much even a minimal amount of items will cost.  Beckie from Knock off Decor comes to the rescue with her blog about making exact copies of those designer products for a lot less. Seriously folks you have to go see it. Pottery Barn, ZGallerie, West Elm, You name it, she’s probably got it!  I have been shamelessly stalking the Knock Off Decor blog for a while now and guess what! I’m being featured on her site tomorrow! The post will be up at 10 o’clock and it will be amazing to see my work on such an amazing, well known blog!