Cha-cha-changes in the kitchen...

A few weeks ago before I was done working I had some vacation time

and so I sent myself to work in the kitchen

It had been 3 years since I had gone through all my kitchenware 

and let me tell you-

IT WAS STUFFED TO THE BRIM!!!

 I had sets of three for almost everything

too much stuff

and so I purged,

and purged,

and purged some more

and let me tell you...

Purging when you are 8 months pregnant takes time!  

Getting down on my hands and knees and cleaning out cabinets...

It was not an easy feat

I think my dad and brother would have enjoyed watching it 

almost as much as they enjoy watching me attempt to work out to a fitness video

{I am horribly uncoordinated}

By the end my kitchen had never looked better 

inside and out

but we all know

the fun photos are of the outside...

My kitchen is my happy place

I wish had some before pictures so you could really appreciate

just how far it has come 

from bachelor days

to domestic bliss

A Halloweeny Party

Ryan turned 28 this Halloween so we had a little party to celebrate {and by little I mean about 30 people!}.  Here is what it entailed:

Homemade potato soup & chili

A dessert table out by the bonfire

Snuggle blankets to keep toasty warm

Cider and candy to munch on

Homemade bread and baked beans 

Lots of family to celebrate Ryan!

I didn't get any pictures of the actual party because by that point I could barely waddle around from being on my feet so much.  So there was a dessert table I promise and it was awfully purdy for a boy party- good thing my husband pretty much lets me do what I want right now cause I am growin' his baby inside of me.  

The party was a complete success!  Even if it did take me {and my kitchen} days to recover I am so glad that I did it.  Since this is our last Halloween without kids I wanted to really make Ryan the center of attention since for the next 13 years or so it will be more about the kids then him {on his actual birthday- don't cry to much for him he will still have birthdays- just not on the actual date!}.

He always tells me that he doesn't need a party but I could tell this year he was really glad we did!  Happy birthday baby!  Here is to the next 28 being just as wonderful!!!

PS Did I mention that I wore sweatpants to the party? Yeah I did...cause I am pregnant and I can.

Maytag Bravo {a story about a new washer and dryer}...

A couple of weeks ago me and the hubs went to Menards {or SaveBigMonies like Ryan's Opa calls it}.  We needed new doormats and some light bulbs.  I also reminded Ryan that we needed to start looking at washers and dryers {since ours are 10+ years and aren't working as well as they use to and we got baby clothes to clean}.  Now you have to understand that me and Ryan have stict procedure codes that we {and by we I mean me} have to follow when making big purchases.  The rules are as follows...

01.  You must show due cause for the needed item and you must be very convincing {or whiny if thats what you have to resort to}.

02.  You must do loads of research and show all your findings to Ryan about cost and quality all while showing that it will be better in the long run with then new item {insert more whining if you think it will help}.

03.  You must plan your attack- errr I mean purchase in advance and not rush him.

or

01. Take him the Menards the day before the most awesome sale ends, causing him to have to decide right then and there that it's what he wants!

Voila! Our new Maytag Bravo washer and dryer set came last Thursday and I am SO excited.  Excited about appliances?  Heck yeah.  I do all the laundry in this house {cause I want to, not cause Ryan makes me} and I know how much this is needed.  It did help that I have been telling Ryan for months how poorly our old machines were doing and how hard I had to work to keep our laundry looking and smelling good.  

So far I am loving the new machines.  The washer is already making our clothes look cleaner and brighter {even without an agitator!}  and is so efficient with it's water and spin cycle that the dryer hardly has any work to do.  I am knocking out load after load and it is so much easier then my old process.  I will keep you updated with my review.

I like to decorate with fruit, not eat it...

I love kitchen decor be it roosters, plump little chef men, or my very favorite right now- fruit!  Pears especially hold the key to my heart.  Ryan rolls his eyes a little with every ceramic purchase but I just can't say no...

What is your decorating obsession???

Truffles Tuesdays {cause sometimes you just need chocolate}...

I know you aren't suppose to eat a lot of chocolate when you are pregnant cause of the caffine blah, blah, blah but sometimes a girl needs a truffle or two {or maybe 10}.  Truffles are those kinds of treats that seem really complicated to make but that's not the real story.  Here is my no fail recipe...

Get In My Belly Truffles

Ingredients:

Chocolate chips {the higher the cacao percentage the better- you want to shoot for something in the 60% to 80% range- I use Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips}

1/3 Cup Heavy Cream {I didn't say they were good for you}

Cocoa Power {Again the higher quality of chocolate the better I use Green and Blacks Organic Cocoa Power- found at Schnucks}

Directions:

In a sauce pan boil about 2 inches of water.

Once it comes to a bowl place a glass bowl into the hot water bath.  

Pour in chocolate chips and cream into glass bowl {the bowl in the water bath keeps your chocolate and cream from burning}, stirring often until thoroughly melted together.

Once melted take off heat and let come to room temperature, this takes about 45 minutes.

Taking either a small spoon or melon scoop, scoop out chocolate mixture and form little balls with your hands

Roll in the cocoa powder lightly and enjoy!

I made these for the girls at work and they went crazy for them.  They are such a simple treat to make but feel like a luxury.  So the next time you have a long day and need a pick me up you are only an hour away from chocolately goodness that would cost you buckoo bucks from a fine chocolate store.

A DIY Gift Basket...

Items in basket:

Pumpkin Candles

Hand Soap from Bath and Body Works {in new fall scents}

Fallish Dish Towels

Pretty Lace Runner

Apples for decoration {fake ones}

Cute Fall Bow

Voila!

Prettiest darn fall gift basket ever!

Lemons...

Lemons are good for...

Throwing down the garbage disposal in small pieces {Ryan just learned this trick recently and is completely in love- if my lemons go missing I know what happened to them} makes it not smell so funky...

Getting rid of on Design Star- sorry Cathy but you were a lemon!  Your design was commercial and boring and you couldn't get along with anyone.  Me and Ryan high fived when they announced they would not be producing your show.  It was like sending a lemon down the garbage disposal...

Putting in ice water.  I dunno if this is a pregnancy thing but nothing tastes quite as good as nice, tall glass of ice water with lemon wedges in it...  

Holding sugar-  I got this sweet little sugar jar {pictured above} from Anthropology after I found out the owl cookie jar I really, really wanted was $99!  For a stinkin' cookie jar {Ryan might get it for my push present...who needs diamonds when you can get an owl cookie jar???}...

Lemon Buddies!  I read about them here on a sweet  blog I am addicted to and now I cannot stop thinking about them.  I must make them.  Visit her blog and also make me some of these!  I am pregnant and demanding...

Are you in the mood for something lemoney yet???

Door knobs and crockpots {instead of bed knobs and broomsticks}...

This weekend I took off 14 door knobs!  It took me two hours just to get them all off the doors.  They had been painted over many times and the screws were very hard to get out.  But after it was all said and done  I am so happy I did!  What a huge difference in our doors and savings {a little over two hundred dollars for new knobs}....and I think these glass antiquey ones are pretty cute- don't you? 

This was just the little pop of charm I need after a weekend filled with painting, cleaning, moving furniture, and adding more to my to-do list then I seem to get done.  If you have some old door knobs that need some attention this is how I did it:

*I also used some jewelry wipes {like for brass and silver} to shine them up a little bit....

L is for love seat...

So please excuse the mishmash of furniture in my living room.  It is going through some big changes!  We sold our old couch and chair set!  Hurray!  I was ready for a change from beige.  We had A LOT of very traditional furniture and I am, well, a little more funky eclectic then traditional so it was time to move on to something more my style.

Say hello to our newest member of the household-  Lola the Love Seat.  The kitties love her, the hubs doesn't hate her, and I am still deciding.  

I do love her nice lines and the color of wood she has for feet but I am not sold on the color or pattern she wears.  I am not sure when we get other pieces it will pull together or dare I try reupholstering something for first time? 

So I need your help...

Ignore the black bookcase {that is getting painted and put in the new office} and pretend like the floor is painted white.

Leave a comment here or on Facebook telling me what you think I should do:

Make it work as is!

or

Cover that old lady up!

Can't wait to hear what advice you have for me!

Kitchen Update...

I love being in my new kitchen!  Just cleaning the counters gives me a little grown up thrill.  I really wish I had a before picture but I don't so let me paint you a picture...

The walls are a dark cranberry red and the windows had poker cards with pinup girls on them.  The ceiling was dingy and had streaks of the red paint on it.  The cabinets were 1970's cheapo standard wood  cabinets.  The outlet faces were painted with the red paint {well some were and some weren't}.  The sink was super shallow, the hose sprayer thingy didn't work and there was no garbage  disposal.  Plus it was freakin' dirty- I'm talking boys lived here alone for 3 years before I came around.

Now it is light, bright, and most importantly CLEAN!  All under $500 dollars...not bad.