Ice Cream Sandwiches

Ice cream and chocolate chip cookies pair well together for a make-ahead summer dessert.  Delish!

Prim Apple Cider Jug

With all the shabby chic-edness of my house sometime people forget how very much I love the primitive look!  My whole downstairs is prim, but rarely do guest venture down there.  I may add more prim touches to my kitchen soon!

I found this glass apple cider jug and decided it needed a grubby makeover.  Craft paint, cinnamon, fabric and tea were all it took!

I love how it came out!  It blends really well into my family room!  I love the pioneer-esque feel it has!

Farmhouse Chic Living Room Mini-Makeover

I am still totally in love with my all white Farmhouse Chic living room!  It's been over a year and I still smile every time I walk through the front door.  Last weekend I decided I needed to make a few changes though and I'm so happy with how they all turned out!

My brown piano was beautiful but too dark for a shabby chic home.  I also had to take down my awesome vintage dairy strainer to make way for the piano and it hasn't had a home since.

This ceiling fan was not only ugly, it quit working last summer and then the kids broke one of the glass shades (with a devil's pitchfork... not even kidding).  If you look in the bottom left corner you'll see a bit of the front door I never painted last year... not sure why.

The shades on this antique lamp didn't quite match the living room.  They matched my couches pre-slipcovers.  The flowers annoyed me and the mason jar lamp had a boring shade.

Eric helped me with the electrical part.... I'm scared of it!  Down came the ugly fan!

I ditched the shades and covered the cardboard with red and white scrapbook paper for an updated sleek look.

I covered the lamp shade with a 1939 sugar sack.  I got rid of the flowers and contained the milk bottles to a vintage enamelware pan.   One of the milk bottles was a recent find.  It was the only one without a original label so I bought a red star sticker at Hobby Lobby to fill in.

I updated the family picture to include the newbies and placed a vintage doily on the shelf.  It was a recent .25 find.  I replaced a bird with a vintage honey pot.

The picnic baskets used to be on the floor.  I placed them on a white stool topped with another .25 doily.  I'm not sure if the baskets really fit in... They may be too colorful.  Thoughts?

I finally painted my front door!  It looks so much better!

The giant dairy strainer found a home!  This strainer is one of my favorite treasures!

I love my antique mason jar chandelier!  I debated and debated on what kind of lights to use and then I decided I don't need lights!  It was really easy to make!  I spray painted a rusty old canner rack and some rusty canning lids white (they would have been great rusty too!) and picked out some of my oldest canning jars.  The white chain and S hooks were pretty inexpensive at Home Depot.  The whole chandelier cost me just a few bucks!

The milk glass chandelier was $5 at a yard sale.  I love it a lot!  It's so much better than the old brown ceiling fan!

My piano makes me so happy!  I love it so much!

Les Mis & Treasure Hunting Trip!

Eric and I took an overnight road trip to Cedar City this week to see my most favorite musical, Les Miserables!
 

I'm a history junkie, so we stopped in Fillmore at Utah's first capital building.  I didn't even know the state capital was in Fillmore before it was in Salt Lake!

We also stopped in Beaver at the cheese factory and got ice cream cones!

Before the play we went out for fabulous sushi at a little restaurant called, Ninja.  I wasn't expecting much since it's in a small town, but the sushi was so delicious!

I love, love, love sushi!

The play was phenomenal!  They did just a good job of it at the Shakespearean Festival!  It was Eric's first time seeing Les Mis and even though he CLAIMS to hate all musicals he LOVED it and even cried three times...

The next day we had yummy diner food and treasure hunted at thrift stores all the way home... We spent hours checking out random small stores and buying up things.  Even though it was a quick trip, it was a blast!  Eric is so fun to travel with!

Since I've been home I've already listed like 70 items in my etsy shop and I'll be listing another 50 or so in the next couple of days!  Feel free to check it out!  I love vintage treasures!

Spoiled Brats and The American Homemaker-Mobile

I love these two.... but sometimes they make me crazy!  I settled into bed after a long day, looking forward to relaxing and turned on Man vs Food... Within minutes these punks were manipulating me into getting up at 11pm and making them a "gourmet" hot dog plate featured on the show.  I put my own spin on it and they found it delightful!  They named the dish "Spoiled Brats" after themselves :)

 Spoiled Brats

Heavily butter hot dog buns and place butter-down on a hot griddle to get them nice and toasted.

Spread with jam.  I used fresh strawberry jam.

 Meanwhile, slice hot dogs in half lengthwise to split them open.  Fry in butter on both sides until hot and bubbly.

When done, top with sliced cheddar cheese and let melt.

According to my spoiled brats, these Spoiled Brats were the best hot dogs ever!

 

I don't know if I've ever mentioned how much I love old cars...

Lookie what Eric and I got!!!  It's The American Homemaker-mobile!  It's so hideous I love it!  I can't wait to get it painted!  Isn't it cool?  It's a 1978 Ford LTD Station Wagon.  It seats 8 and has a rockin' big motor in it!  Nina told me I "ruined her life" by bringing such a car into our lives! Haha!  Gotta love teenage girls.  I'm really excited to pretty it up and start driving it around!

Painted Piano

I was given a really fabulous antique piano by a woman in my ward. She wanted it to go to someone who would love it... Well, I LOVE it!  I have been missing my old piano for quite a while so it's really nice to have one again!

This beauty is an upright grand from the 1800s!  It just didn't quite match my all-white farmhouse chic living room...

Three coats of paint later it looks like this...

I am so in love with it!  Plus, my living room feels balanced again!  I'm trying to decide what kind of embellishment it needs because it seems a little plain... I'm sure I'll think of something!  For now I'm really happy with it!

Delightful Brownies

Delightful Brownies

brownie mix + ingredients to make
mini chocolate chips
Nutella
marshmallow cream
caramel ice cream topping
crumbled Oreos

Make brownies, sprinkle batter with mini chocolate chips before baking.  Bake as directed.  While still warm spread marshmallow cream and Nutella on top.  Drizzle with caramel topping and sprinkle with Oreos...  HEAVENLY!!!

These are pretty much amazing!  You'll love them!  They're gourmet brownies without the gourmet work!