Pinterest Project: DIY Wall Coffee Mug Rack... How things are never as easy as they seem and why I should have listened to my father the first time

So ya ya it's been a while blah blah blah... let's just pretend I've been actively posting the last year and a half... it will be a lot easier than trying to explain the reason for my blog absence other than I have none except life... it happens... lets move on.

So feeling the need for a project last weekend, since the Hubs was working under deadline, I started perusing everyones favorite time-suck Pinterest. and stumbled upon this (and can I tell you how I loathe pins that link to NOTHING.)



Seemed easy enough right... it's a piece of wood and some hooks... how hard could it be... (said me everytime something turns out harder than expected, it's like a curse... you'd think I'd learn by now.) So not really knowing much about lumber I enlisted the help of my dear ole Dad to make the trip to Home Depot with me. After taking some measurements regarding size, counting my sizable mug collection (23) and scoping Home Depot out online to get an idea about supplies we headed off...

It's a Pinterest Project!

So I finally joined Pinterest. I sorta refused to join while in the midst of wedding planning because I knew with the magnitude of information and ideas out there I would never get anything done and so many weddings were beginning to look the same because of Pinterest I wanted mine to be different, also I figured if I didn't look I could think that the ideas I came up with were totally original and all my own instead of finding out that someone back east (or where ever) already came up with them. So now since I have some time on my hands I figured I'd give it a whirl. Yep its addicting, yep you can lose hours pinning or going through boards, this I all knew but I have decided that if I am going to spend time pinning then I can spend equal time doing. So here it is my first Pinterest Project. I took this pin and figured how hard could it be...

Who Says You Can't Be Lazy and Creative...

Yesterday may have been one of the laziest days ever... I think I slept in till 1, never got out of my pajamas and just lounged around with my Love and the animals. In between lounging I did have some wedding ideas on the mind. If you all keep tabs on any blogs you may have seen the subway poster art that is all the rage. here are some examples

                                

Well some have gone a step further and made them... well let's say "cutesy"

    

I'm not really one for the cutesy ones but one day a while back while perusing the Internet for wedding ideas I came across an Etsy shop (which of course I didn't save the name of...whoops) that had taken the Subway art one step further and personalized it for a couple. I thought the idea was actually kinda genius and a fun touch for wedding decor and being the kinda do-it-yourself kinda girl I sat down at the trusty laptop to give my hand a go at it... this is what I ended up with

I like how it tells a story, albeit the Campbell's Condensed Soup version. I have a vision of this blown up and displayed at the sign in table or something at the wedding to give our guests a glimpse into our little story. This is still a rough draft, I may still tweak a few things design wise, but having just been messing around I think it turned out pretty good. I am defiantly drawn to wedding decor that drips with personal touches. I know that for us I want our guests to feel like they are not just attending a ho-hum cookie cutter wedding. I want them to leave feeling like they know us a little better, and that they were given a glimpse of our life together and are as excited about it as Clint and I are. I also like how we can keep this and hang it up at home and have a reminder of how we got to where we are together. Cheesy? maybe... but I love a little cheese now and again.

xoxo

My December...

Where oh where did the month go! I tell ya just the other day I was musing on about pies and here we are almost to the new year. So it's recap time! I started the month off pretty much how I ended November... Baking! December is the best time for treats... not sure if it's the holidays or that space in time between Thanksgiving and the New Year when calories don't count but I love it! This season was filled with all new treats! Started the treat making with Cake Pops

it's tradition that my dear friend, Jen and I make treats. Years past have been chocolate covered marshmallows and this year we decided to mix it up a bit, though the same process was involved with sticks, melted chocolate and toppings... lots and lots of toppings!

They turned out super cute and tasty! next up were the hundreds of turtles I must have made over the course of the month. these are the easiest treat ever. Pretzel, place a Rolo on top and soften in the oven for a few minutes, take out of the oven and smoosh a pecan on top! let cool and set and viola done!

There are roughly 56 Rolo's in a bag... I think between making them at my Moms', mine and my sisters' houses I made maybe 8 bags worth... you do the math, but they are a hit every where they went. Probably my favorite baked good where the little spritz cookies i made with the cookie press I received last year. I had never used such a contraption but it was surprising fun and easy and who doesn't like a cookie gun! One batch made quite a bit but they were little so it was actually the perfect amount. (p.s. yes, after this I am the cookie pro!)

They turned out so freaking cute and delicious! I will be making those again! In between treat making... there were some crafting to be had so here is this years project. cute little mason jar snow globes.

Surprisingly this was all crammed into the first half of the month... add to that a couple Christmas parties, including one with a stay at Stien Erickson Lodge up at Deer Valley, and one filled with friends food and fun and by the 15th I was pooped but the fun was just starting. That day I flew out to Seattle for 5 days to stay over during my sisters Birthday. The trip was filled with catching up with old friends, feeding a Zebra, a photo-bombing peacock  (more on that later) a couple Ferry Boat rides, a gorgeous sunrise a spectacular sunset over downtown, eating food I can't get in Utah, a Birthday party whew. 

Once back from Seattle it was a mad dash to the Christmas finish line where the F-Hub and I spent Christmas Eve eating Chinese Food with my family and watching A Christmas Story (Clint's first time). Christmas morning was started with traditional waffles and present opening. The party didn't end there, we drove back to Logan to spend the rest of Christmas with Clint's family eating another delicious meal and exchanging gifts. I'm glad the timing worked out that we were able to spend the holidays with both our families. I know that that can get hard as relationships and families grow. I also know how extremely blessed I am. I have a great family, am gaining another one in Clint's and speaking of Clint I am so grateful to have such a wonderful man in my life, words can not explain what he means to me and how excited I am for the upcoming year planning and continuing our lives together. I started this year off a little rocky and a little lost but could not be ending it on a better note. I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and I wish everyone a Happiest of New Years! 

xoxo

Some Proper Before and Afters...

 So it has been a long time coming, granted I took a few breaks in-between but I can with much pleasure say the cabinets are done!! and man do they look good. it's like a whole different kitchen. I still need to paint the baseboards to match but that is minor in the whole scheme of things and that will have to wait until after Turkey Day. But now... the long awaited (if only for my benefit) before and afters!!

messy picture I know but hey... we do live in this kitchen... but doesn't the brass just seem to glow like creepy eyes... yuck!

and the sleek after...

Never mind my Pie baking "goods" peeking out in the corner... I'm prepping for the "big"day :) here are some more beauts!

See the baseboards are screaming to be finished but hey... I got pies to bake and turkey to eat... so they will have to wait... but I can't even begin to describe the transformation. I wish I could bring everyone through my kitchen to see them in person cause my camera sucks and the pictures do not do them justice. All in all the project cost about $100 not counting "materials" like paint brushes etc. The Paint kit was around $70 and I'm happy to say that 1 kit did my entire kitchen, including the back of the bar and the half bath that's off the kitchen. I should have just barely enough to do the baseboards. I was extremely pleased as to how far it went. The knobs are pretty plain brushed nickel and I could have probably got them cheaper (just ask my mom) but I have no patience and didn't want to wait so to Home Depot I went and found a set of 25 for about $30 or so ( I don't exactly remember) after finishing the kitchen I have 4 knobs left which is more then enough for when I refinish the upstairs bath. I couldn't be happier with the results, and given the ease (albeit monotony) of the project I would recommend it to anyone who hates their cabinets... And now that this is finished it's on to one of the many other projects I've got floating around in my head... most likely up is the roman shade for the kitchen window... but first. PIES :)  

Color Combo Crush- Grey & Yellow

This by no means is a new combo, it's been around for a bit now but I've always liked it, just never felt it had a place in my old apartment. I'm thinking subconsciously this is why I wanted to paint the kitchen yellow. The intent in the kitchen was never to go with this scheme. The cabinets are (well almost all of them) deep brown and the nick-nacks on the shelves are various colors, so no one color combo was screaming out to me until one day a week or so ago I was perusing fabric online (as I often do) and be still my heart I came across this beauty...

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I'm a sucker for a good geometric print, they are visually interesting but maintain some masculinity, and in this grey it spoke to me. Saying "hang me over your kitchen window, make a roman shade out of me, you know you want to" and well... I did. Also it happened to be on sale at 50% off I was able to get 2 yards for the price of one and at regularly $30/yard it was a steal. (it's currently 40% off at JoAnn's) Well today was like Christmas came early and I got my roll of fabric. At 54'' wide and 2 yards I have more then enough to  roll around in it like it's money  make my desired roman shade and then some. Other prints I'm in love with and thinking of using to make pillows for the kitchen table chairs a window covering of some kind for the half-bath

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so I really could go on and on with fabric swatches but I'll spare you my obsession.  But not with out leaving you with some glorious pictures of my new arrival.

next to the wall, seriously I need a better camera the pictures don't do it much justice. It's so yummy together. 

I plan to make a roman shade much like described here, now I've just got to finish the rest of the cabinets so I can move on to this project.