A "Grown Up" Kind of Day

Do you ever have a day where it just hits you? You're an adult. A real, actual, official adult. I had one of those days today.

I'm not a fan of cooking. I've been sitting in the teacher's lounge at school for the last five years bored to tears as people talk about recipes and crock pots and all that other "domestic" stuff. I was NOT INTERESTED. I'm the girl who signed up to bring napkins and plates for every shower we've thrown at school: as long as I didn't have to cook something!

But, today,  I just got the urge to cook. My co-worker Heather told me about a recipe a couple of weeks ago and it's SO GOOD and SO EASY. She got it off the Hellman's website. You just mix mayo and parmesan cheese into a bowl. I add lots of italian seasoning to the mixture... just because I like it. Then, you rub the mixture on some chicken breasts and roll it in some italian bread crumbs. It bakes for about 30 minutes at 450 degrees. Ya'll, it's AMAZING! I've been adding store-bought marinara to it to make it even more yum.

I also made some Parmesan Knots that I found on Pinterest. You get Pillsbury Golden Layers Buttermilk Biscuits in a can. Then, you roll them out and twist them into a knot. They cook for ten minutes. Then, you mix canola oil, oregano flakes, parmesan cheese and garlic powder with parsley. When the knots come out of the oven, you use a brush to put the mixture on them. They are delicious. I'll definitely be making them again!

A relatively healthy dinner... I'm shocked at myself.

(Don't worry. I'm sure I will eat Sonic for dinner tomorrow.)

And, to make matters worse, I spent my hard-earned money on a pumpkin and a pretty flower for my front porch while I was grocery shopping. I seriously don't know what came over me.

Definitely more inviting. And, we're all set for Fall now!

I also made a big decision. The new yarn wreath is going on the front door. For now. Who knows how long it will stay there...

Well, that's all I've got.

I'm off to do some dishes.

Thanks for reading!

Weekend Recap

It's been a busy last couple of days. So, I'm going to make a list of some things I wanted to share.

1. The Zoo: We took the first graders on a field trip to the zoo on Friday. Oh. My. Word. I don't think I have ever been so tired in my life. The kids enjoyed it... but, they were exhausted! That's a lot of walking for little kids! And, it was sooo crowded. I have a major fear of losing a kid on a field trip: especially places like the zoo where there are just kids EVERYWHERE. So, I made them hold a rope the entire time. And I dragged them throughout the entire zoo. But, it was TOTALLY worth it. Here are some zoo pics.

Monkeys. You should have heard the heated discussion between the kids when we got back to school about whether these were just "plain old monkeys" or gorillas. I knew the answer... but, sometimes it's best not to get invloved ;)

This elephant was slinging mud everywhere. Ha.

And this elephant picked up a trunk with his... well, trunk.

These are literally the only animal pics I took. I was too busy taking care of my own "animals." But, it was a great trip.

2. Saturday Scholars: My school, Cole, started Saturday Scholars this Saturday. It's basically a TCAP tutoring program that we do on Saturday mornings for the third and fourth graders. I LOVE it! I adore teaching first graders. I don't want to teach anything else. But, I have to say... it's fun to be around the older kids sometimes. They get your jokes. And, they're so sweet. It honestly gives me goosebumps to see these kids get up on Saturday morning and come to school so that they'll do well on TCAP. I LOVE my school!

3. New Computer: My sweet dad bought me a new laptop yesterday! I was planning on getting one for Christmas. But, he went ahead and just got me one to use now. I love it! Thanks so much, Dad!

4. Hampy: Matt came home this weekend and brought Hampton with him. She's gotten so big! It was fun to spend time with her. She's so calm, now! Definitely she's losing some of her "puppy-ness."

Love her!

Isn't she so big, now?

Matty and Hampster

And, if you will rub her under her chin, she will be your best friend forever.

5. Projects: My mom and I worked on a few projects yesterday. I made a yarn wreath that I have been eyeing on Pinterest lately. It was a lot of work. But, it was very easy to make!

I really like it. The problem? I don't know where to put it!

It's sitting here for right now.

And, my mom made a cute fall pillow:

She sewed it together, but I didn't get a "finished" picture. I'll get one and show it to you.

Well, I better go cheer on the Titans. Looks like they need it.

As always, thanks for reading!

Trunk Re-Do

I spent the day with my mom yesterday. You know what that means: trouble. She just talks me into doing crazy things... but, in a good way! We started off at the Parent Teacher Store and we somehow ended up at the Harpeth Antique Mall in Franklin. We were just strolling along, slightly gasping at the honestly outrageous prices in the store, when we happened across this little trunk.

 

I know what you're thinking. It's country. There's floral fabric on top. And, the handles are the exact same ones my grandparents had in their kitchen in the 70's. BUT, it was only $45. And it had potential. So it came home with us...

After running to Home Depot and Hobby Lobby to pick up a few things, we got busy. The first thing we did was pull the padded top off the trunk and unscrew all the handles.

We decided not to paint it because I actually thought the color would work in my room. But, I prefer the "it fell off the back of a truck" look. Which basically means I like stuff to look old. So we used some furniture wax we already had and distressed it up nicely!

For new handles, I really was envisioning something like this... only a lot darker. Well, Home Depot only had these silver ones. And, since I'm lazy, I decided to just get them and spray paint them when I got home.

Much better!

Next, we pulled off the floral fabric and found this gross fabric underneath. Needless to say, it all went in the trash.

We used spray adhesive glue to attach some clean new foam to the board that lays on top of the trunk.

Then, we staple gunned (my new favorite thing!) a layer of quilt batting around the board and foam to give it smooth edges. I decided to put burlap on the top of the trunk because it's super cheap, super cute and super easy to match in multiple rooms. I didn't want to be tied down with this piece because of the fabric. I want to be able to move it from room to room if I feel like it.

This is what it looked like when I left my parents' house yesterday. We had some issues with the handles. The screws they sold with the handles didn't fit the wood properly and wouldn't hold them up. We even tried to hot glue the handles on since they are a facade (the trunk only opens from the top.) But, the slickness of the wax and the handles made it impossible to glue them. So, my mom told me she'd get some more screws and bring it to my house this afternoon.

Well, she just left... and here's what she brought me....

I LOVE IT!

And, it's such good storage in my room. I can't wait to fill it with blankets and stuff that I don't really have room to store in my closet.

Lastly, in honor of my mom, who has been my personal decorating guru the last few weeks, I have to show you her lastest project for her house.

Here's the before:

A $7 Goodwill mirror.

And, here's the after:

A beautiful, French-inspired mirror.

She's pretty amazing, huh?

Thanks for all your help, Mom!

 I had fun "getting in trouble" with you yesterday.

New Artwork

I don't know about you... but, I love artwork! The first thing I notice when I walk into a room is the art on the walls. I especially like bold colors. So, when I saw this cool painting from Annabellea.com, I knew I had to copy try it!

How cool is that?

I decided to make a coral colored one to match my bedroom in the new house. I think I want to go with a coral, teal and white theme in that room. So, off to Joann's I went to purchase a canvas!

Here's what you do. Use painter's tape to create a design. Since I loved the one above so much, I decided to try and make mine like hers. You can precisely measure each piece of tape and make it perfect... or, you can just slap them on like me and not worry about it. I promise it will still look great!

Then you just paint over it. That's it! It's seriously the easiest thing ever!

While I was waiting on it to dry, I wracked my brain for what to do with the second canvas that came in the package I bought. I had some gray paint I wanted to use and I just started taping away. Here's what I came up with...

I painted it gray and waited for them both to dry. When they dried, I peeled off the paint (which is so fun!)and saw the finished product.

Ta Da!

I have to say, I really like them! They're fun and colorful and will be easy to move around from room to room. I'm sure you'll see them again when I post pics of the new house =)

Just to give you an idea, here's the coral painting with my teal headboard (which is obviously still in the garage) and curtain fabric. I have white bedding. I'm picturing it hanging over the bed with maybe some sconces on either side? Not really sure.... but, I'm excited to see how it all comes together!

One more thing... I finished my homemade chalkboard yesterday. I found an old wooden frame at the Nashville Flea Market last year and got a great deal on it. It's been sitting over my bed empty for the last few months like this... 

I couldn't find anything to fit inside it because it's an irregular shape. So, I bought some  foam posterboard and cut it to the right size. Then, I painted three layers of chalkboard paint on it that I already had lying around.

 I LOVE IT! I can't wait to hang it in the new house.

Okay, I think that's all. Thanks for stopping by!

Coffee Filter Wreath

Isn't this fun? It's a coffee filter wreath. It came from this website.

Coffee filter wreaths are nothing new. They've been all over decorating blogs for the last year. But, since I have a new place to decorate and I'm apparently a glutton for punishment, I decided to make one. It was easy and cheap, but it took FOREVER!  

Here's what you'll need: a hot glue gun, coffee filters (I used the natural colored ones but a lot of people use white) and a Styrofoam wreath from a craft store. I think the total was around $5. That's really all you need. Oh, that and...

something entertaining to watch on TV. Just trust me. I recommend season five of The Office =)

This is the shape you'll need to fold the filters into. The package of filters I bought had 200 in it. My advice: go ahead and fold the filters up about 50 at a time. Once you get on a roll gluing, you aren't going to want to stop and fold each one.

All you do is just hot-glue the points of the folded filters to the Styrofoam. So easy! This is what it looked like after about an hour of work. I was determined to make it work with only one package and I did... barely. I would recommend dividing the wreath into fourths to make sure you're spacing out the filters enough.

And here's the finished product. I tried to hang it to take the picture but it's so thick I couldn't get it to hang on any nails. Ha. But, I think it will be cute hanging on the window arch with maybe a strip of burlap? Or on the pantry door?

 

Ottoman Makeover

First of all, I hope you like my new blog layout. It took me a few days to figure out how to get it like I wanted it. The background came from here and the header came from here. With a little Photoshop, of course. Now, on to the ottoman...

As I told you in my last post, I found a great ottoman at Goodwill for $12. I actually specifically went to Goodwill to try and find an ottoman and was so excited to find a great one on the first try! Here's what it looked like when I brought it home...

My mom and I (well, mostly just my mom) turned this ugly little ottoman into something great. We bought white duck cloth at Joann's with a 50% off coupon. Love that. Then, I searched the Internet for inspiration. Here are some ottomans I liked:

Link: here

Link: here

Link: here

Once we found some pictures to try and copy, my mom got to work and I tried my best to keep up. Here's what she came up with...

Isn't it super cute? I think she did a great job!

Another angle...

And a close-up of the sweet little pleats.

The best part? It's totally removable and washable. I know this for a fact because somebody already spilled red Gatorade on it. But, with a little bleach, it came right out! Ha.

And, here's what we she is tackling next!

Don't I have the best mom in the world???