Oops Paint - Day 263

I have been putting off painting the boys bunk beds for well, six months now. I couldn't decide what I wanted to do or spend the money on paint. Last week Daniel was out of town on a business trip and I decided I wanted to paint the beds so it would be a nice surprise. I went to Home Depot and asked if they had any oops paint. I mean when someone asks for a certain color and it doesn't come out right, so they don't take it. They sell it at a reduced price. I was hoping to find a $15 dollar paint oops, and was pleasantly surprised to find one of my color choices was in the bunch and was only $7! Seriously! I totally bought it. I thought it would dry a great light green. It came out neon green! It doesn't look as bright when there is bedding on it and it is against the wall, but I thought it was so bright they kids wouldn't be able to sleep!

So, I have been paying attention to other stores and have found that even Walt-Mart carries oops paints. I am totally going to check here the next time I need some paint!

White Cheddar chicken pasta - Day 262

 This was a yummy doctored up Mac-N-Cheese! We all loved it!

White Cheddar Chicken Pasta

For the chicken:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tsp dry mustard ( I used Dijon)
1 T fresh thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 T olive oil

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix together mustard, thyme, salt and pepper and sprinkle over chicken pieces. When pan is hot, add chicken and brown about 3 minutes per side until cooked through. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.

For the pasta:
1 pound rotini or other short cut pasta
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely diced
1/4 cup dry white wine (I omitted this)
1 T Dijon mustard
8 oz sharp white cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups milk (I used skim milk but mixed in about 2 T heavy cream)
1 T fresh thyme
1 T fresh oregano
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Parmesan cheese to taste

Heat water to boil in a large stock pot for pasta, add salt and pasta and cook to al dente and drain according to directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add flour and whisk to combine. Add wine, garlic, onions, and mustard. Cook about 5 minutes, until onions are translucent. Reduce heat to low and slowly add milk, stirring to combine. Cook about 5-7 minutes more until mixture begins to thicken. Add cheese and stir to melt. Add chicken and pasta and toss to incorporate sauce. Add thyme and oregano and serve topped with crushed red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese.

Shabby Chic hat stands - Day 261

 I have been given the opportunity to sell my cute crochet creations and needed a display for them I have found a few ideas, but didn't love all parts of them. So I made my own. Today at a garage sale I cam upon these adorable candlesticks made of wood! I bought the foam balls from wall-mart and covered them in strips of paper and modge podge. I also have this spray glitter that I painted them with. I didn't want to ruin the candlesticks, so I am using a temporary sticky glue spot to adhere the balls to the sticks, but may have to change that. I added some ribbon and they are SUPER CUTE!

Hair tie storage recycle - Day 260

 I have no place for my hair ties and headbands. I saw this adorable solution of taking an oatmeal canister and covering it and throwing everything inside. Genius!!!

Pick three kinds of paper.

Cute one 2/3 the height of the tube.

 Cut the other one 1/3 the length (or just what is from the other paper up).

I ripped book paper into tiny little rectangles and laid them over the seam. You could also use ribbon or more paper. Modge podge it all on and let dry.

 I used some old pattern tissue paper and made a little rosette with hot glue for the top. I added some bling too! Super cute, Super easy, Super fantastic! You could use this for so many other things!

Littles stool - Day 259

My boys are constantly asking to have me pick them up and put them on my kitchen counter. I do it sometimes, but it can get dangerous or way to crazy when I am making food. I decided to make them their very own stool to stand on, because they would fight over one. I had some extra 2x4's from the bunk bed  and used them, so this project was FREE!

All the wood is 2x4 (you can use 2x2's for the box and legs if wanted)

Shopping and cutting list:

12" long boards (3)

10" long boards (2)

6" long boards (6)

At least 3" screws 

Paint

sand paper

Here is the wood all cut up. Two of the 12" ones I later cut down to 10" so don't get confused.

 You are going to make a box with two 10" boards and two 6" boards. This picture shows the 12" on top and bottom and the 6" on right and left.

I used a wood bit slightly smaller than your screw circumference. You need to put two holes on each side of the longer boards. See how they are staggered? They need this for stability.

Screws going in.

 Side view of box. Make sure you don't go past the board width when picking the screw spots.

Then I laid the top boards down and put the box on top of them (like the stool is upside down) and then traced the box on the top boards. That way when I lay the top boards on the box, I can line them up.

  

Once lined, use your drill bit and make two holes in each board. Make sure you put them in the center to catch the box below. Make sure you are in and inc from all sides. 

Then you will add the last four 6" pieces for legs.  Lay them in there to gauge where they will go. Then use the drill bit to make the holes. Stagger them!

  Then use screws.You will need to apply pressure to the inside leg. The screw will want to push it away.

 Here it is assembled! Literally took me 1 hr with cutting and measuring. Oh and I made to in that hour.

Then I painted the bottoms white and the tops two coordinating colors in my kitchen . Ben asked for lightening McQueen stool, so the red is now called Lightening McQueen red. 

Then you want to take your sand paper and distress them. I did it on the sides, corners and a little on the tops.

All done! I think I may add an initial on top....later.

I think the red one looks like a toadstool mushroom!

The boys loved them!

Chili and cornbread in a jar - Day 258

Pinterest idea!

I saw this cute idea to put chili in a canning jar and top it off with corn bread. I used one big WIDE mouth jar for me and two little wide mouth jars for the boys. I poured already made chili from a can into the jars. Then I mixed up corn bread and evenly distributed it in the jars. Then I cooked them for 15 minutes at 450 degree. The little ones were done then, but the bigger one needed 15 more minutes. 

They were fabulous! I loved digging through the cornbread to get to the chili goodness.

Summer shorts - Day 257

I saw these adorable rolled shorts and knew I had to make them.

 Capri's never fit me right. They are always too long and look funky on my short legs. I found a pair that I wasn't in love with and cute them up for this project. I cute them right under my knee cap. Then I rolled them twice and they landed right above my knee cap. I then ironed the heck out of them. The thing about jean material is it can be broken down and made soft by heat, pressure and force. Heat and pressure I have in my iron, but I do not have a mallet (do not use a hammer. It is not the same thing). So I think they turned out really well without the mallet!

Excuse the bad photo. I couldn't find my nice camera:(