Childhood Desk Makeover

  This desk belonged to me as a child.  It traveled all the way from New Jersey with me just to sit in my garage, waiting for a makeover.  Once summer break began, my first endeavor was to turn my childhood desk  into a homework desk for my son to use. 

I sanded then re-stained the wood with a Minwax stain.  My original plan was to paint the metal chair base and table legs, but after cleaning them I decided not to paint. 

After moving the desk up to my son's room we decided to rearrange his room a bit.  Here are a few pics of his room...

Thanks for visiting!

Felt Flower Petal Pillow

  I love creating pillows out of felt.  It involves more work, but I enjoy the process.  I’m always looking around for new ideas that would work well on a pillow. After searching the internet, I was inspired by this idea and decided to create my own.

  To make my pillow I used the same process as I did here.  Once the shapes were cut, I added glue to the bottom center of each petal and pinched the two ends shut.  After the petals were glued to the circle, I added rosettes cut in two different sizes and a large yarn pom-pom.  I made the pillow form out of burlap, then attached the flower to the center using more hot glue.

  I so love this pillow!  I'm really pleased how well it came together.

*A huge thank you to, Sandra from the White Library and Laurie from The Tip Junkie for featuring my pillow on their websites!

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Thrift Store Finds Part 4

  Mondays are my favorite day of the week to head to my local thrift store.  Every Monday, all merchandise is 50% off.  Although I arrived late in the afternoon(people seriously start lining up outside the store before it opens), I still came home with some neat stuff.

  The glass container on the right reminds me of the Tin Man's oil can from The Wizard of Oz.  The brown sugar bowl is missing the lid so I plan on using it as a flower pot.  I routinely get asked, “what do you do with all that stuff you find"?  So I plan on showing you how I incorporated all this stuff into my home!

  I plan on using the plant stand outside on the patio after a few coats of spray paint.  I think it would look nice with a fern sitting in it.

  I'm so excited about this chair!  It was only $2.50!  I can't wait to make her pretty again!
  Have you been "thrifting" lately?  I'd love to hear about the treasures you found!

Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza

  Chicago-style, or Chicago-style deep dish, contains a crust which is formed up the sides of a deep-dish pan.  It reverses the order of ingredients, using crust, cheese, filling, then sauce on top.  Some versions (usually referred to as "stuffed") have two layers of crust with the sauce on top.  source

  This was by far the best homemade pizza I have ever tasted.  I made this pizza last night and my family loved it. We usually get our deep dish fix from Nancy's here in Atlanta. Who needs to go out when this recipe was so easy and delicious!

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enjoy!

Ingredients
1 (1 pound) loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small onion, chopped
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained 
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon olive oil,
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of a greased baking dish.  Sprinkle mozzarella cheese evenly over the dough. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, garlic and onions; cook until lightly browned, stirring constantly.  Add tomato paste; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in oregano, diced tomatoes, and tomato sauce; simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce mixture is slightly thickened.  Spoon tomato sauce over the mozzarella cheese.  Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.  Bake for 25 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown.  Let pizza stand 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.myrecipes.com

Step Ladder Makeover

I'm sort of addicted to searching Craigslist for affordable furniture.  Craigslist allows you to find great deals from folks trying to sell in a hurry.  I recently found this little step ladder for $5.  I purchased it with the intent of using it in my son's room, but it wasn't the right fit for the space.  After a little head-scratching I decided to use it as a plant stand for my indoor plants.

the little details.

  Hmm...what do you think?  Not bad for 5 bucks!  Have you had any luck with Craigslist lately?

I am linking this post to:

Banana Pudding Milkshake

  I love banana pudding!  Chick-fil-A recently introduced Banana Pudding Milkshakes to their menu.  They are absolutely delicious!  Forget the long lines at your local Chick-fil-A this summer, make one at home!  Although not the healthiest choice, who doesn't love a milkshake?!

Ingredients
2 cups milk
1 tbsp. banana cream instant pudding
2 c. vanilla ice cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 peeled and sliced ripe bananas
1/3 cup vanilla wafers
Dash of salt

Directions
Put all of that deliciousness into a blender and blend until thoroughly mixed.  Pour shake into a glasses and if you like, top with whipped topping, cookie crumbs and a cherry.
Enjoy!  Serves 4.

I am linking this post to: The Country Cook

Outdoor Space

before;  Nothing special, but I like it!  However, it's showing its age.

during;  I purchased a yard of fabric and recovered the front of the cushions using my glue gun.

after;  An updated space where we can enjoy outdoor activities with family and friends!

I am linking this post to: Inspired Living