My Dishwasher is Evil!

 
  Earlier this week, I cleaned the kitchen up before going to bed, like I do every other night of the week.  Wiped the counters down, swept the floor, ran the dishwasher, went to bed.  No Biggie!!  Except this time was different, I woke up the next morning to a huge mess!  Apparently the garbage disposal was clogged and the water from the dishwasher drained into the sink, causing the sink to overflow.  The water in the sink spilled all over place, saturating the floors, the base cabinets and all the stuff inside the cabinets.  Oh the drama that took place thereafter,  I should have won an Oscar for my performance!  I don't cope well with stress and my kitchen mess just took me over the top!  We don't own a shop-vac so we got most of the water up with our carpet cleaner. Worked better than expected, but things are still wet and some mold has set in.  Boo-hoo!

  At this point our insurance company has been called and together we're moving forward to get this mess resolved.  The floors are coming up and the base cabinets will be replaced.    

  But for now, my kitchen is a wreck and my nerves are bad!  In the end I know everything will be put back together and I will love my new floors.  Until then, I just need to get over myself and enjoy not cooking for the rest of the week!    

  So my friends, I'll see ya in a week or so while we're under construction!

Shrimp and Grits(My Way)

When in the South, Eat Like a Southerner!

  As a child, I never understood the appeal of grits.  Growing up in N.J. my mom made Farina.  Farina was my favorite breakfast!  Similar to grits, we ate Farina as a hot cereal.  Grits weren't a "big deal" until I moved to Georgia.  I was unaware that grits were served as a main dish and not just for breakfast.  I recently enjoyed Shrimp and Grits at a local restaurant and knew this was one dish I had to make at home.  I decided to make this dish for dinner.  This recipe has become a family favorite.  Love Shrimp?  Love Grits?  Then you'll love this recipe too!

-Ingredients, Grits:

6 cups water
2 cups half-and-half
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups quick grits
8 ounces shredded white cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, separated

Directions:

* To avoid lumps add grits to water before boiling.  In a saucepan, combine water, salt, black pepper, 3 tablespoons of butter and slowly add grits.  Stirring constantly slowly bring ingredients to a boil.  Reduce to a low heat and continue to stir often, until ingredients are thick and smooth, about 10 minutes.  Add cheese and half-and-half.  Stir gently until cheese melts.  Turn off heat and add remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.  Stir until completely smooth.  Allow grits to rest, before serving.

 

-Ingredients, Shrimp:

1 lb large raw shrimp, peeled- devein if you prefer  *save those shells!
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tsp dried dill
Salt to taste

Directions:

  Heat olive oil and butter over medium high heat.  Add garlic and saute until mixture is simmering and garlic is fragrant.  Add shrimp and cook, until shrimp is white throughout, about 4 minutes.  *Add salt to taste. Sprinkle with dill.

 

-Ingredients, Shrimp Sauce:

1 lb large raw shrimp shells
4 tablespoons butter, separated
4 cups whole milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

    In a large sauce pan, add milk, shrimp shells, two tablespoons of butter and bring to a boil; reduce heat and cook partially covered for about 20 minutes.  Turn off the heat and season with garlic, salt and pepper.  *Strain shells and save only the broth.  In a separate pan, heat remaining two tablespoons of butter in a large sauce pan and sprinkle with the flour, always stirring.  Slowly add the broth, whisking it vigorously until it thickens.  Set aside.

*To serve, spoon grits onto a plate.  Add shrimp sauce and top with shrimp.  Garnish with dill and serve!

Linen Closet Makeover

  My linen closet was in desperate need of a makeover.

The walls needed to be repainted,

and the shelves had seen better days.

I originally planned to update the closet by stenciling a fun pattern on the walls.  I quickly changed my mind after I found this unopened roll of wallpaper at the thrift store. 

Priced at just $1.99, I knew it was meant to be!  As an added bonus, the wallpaper was very similar to the stripes I painted last year in my hallway.

This was my first time using wallpaper.  It was fairly easy to apply in such a small space.  To keep myself from becoming too overwhelmed, I broke the project up in steps.  First, I painted the shelves using leftover paint.  The next day, I  painted the trim.  On the third day, I applied the wallpaper.  We had to live with a mess for a few days, but the end results made it well worth it! 

The top shelf was previously empty, so I added a few planters from Ikea and filled them with some faux foliage from the Dollar Store. 

I reused baskets that I already had for storing things like toilet paper and extra blankets.

Clear glass containers are great storage options for soap.

An inexpensive yet time-consuming project, but in the end just the change this closet needed!

*A huge thank-you to Jen @ I Heart Organizing, Leanne @ Organize Your Stuff Now and Ange, from The Blooming Hydrangea for featuring my closet on their blogs!  Thank-you kindly ladies!

I am linking this post to: Kelly's Korner

Awe, Thanks Guys, You shouldn't Have!

  A warm thanks to Vicki, Amber, Tiffany and Jennifer for awarding me the Versatile Blogger Award.  I appreciate it very much and enjoy visiting your blogs!  I welcome the opportunity to pass this award onto other versatile blogs.

In order to accept this award here are the rules:
1. Thank the person who nominated you.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Nominate 15 blogs you have recently enjoyed.

  I would also like to thank Erin for awarding me the The Sunshine Award.  The Sunshine Award is awarded to bloggers whose positivity and creativity inspires others in the blog world.  Erin is both positive and creative.

Here are the rules:
• Put the Logo on your sidebar, or within a post.
• Pass the award onto 12 Bloggers.
• Link the nominees within your post.
• Let the nominees know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.
• Share the love and link to the person from whom you received this award.

*To avoid this post from becoming too long I decided to combine both awards into one. 

7 things about me:
1. I have a secret crush on Billy the Exterminator.  I may or may not bribe my son to dress up as Billy on Halloween!  Please don't judge me!  : )

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2. Lately whenever I ask my kids to do something they quickly chant, "1-2-3 not it"!

3. In my junior year of high school I was dubbed the name "bone crusher" after I accidentally tripped a kid in gym while playing soccer resulting in a broken arm.  He needed plates and screws in his arm to allow for better healing.  He was such a good sport about it, but it made me feel like crap.  PS. The accident happened two weeks after I transferred to the school.  Worst. day. of. my. life!

4. I am easily scared.  My husband and my kids find this amusing and never pass up a chance to prank me!

5. I talk in my sleep.  My last conversation was about Lionel Richie and the Commodores!

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6. Whenever I ask my kids if their rooms are clean, they in turn ask, "who's coming over"?!

7. My maternal and paternal grandmothers were twins.  My father-in-law is also a twin.  I hoped my first pregnancy would result in twins.  No such luck!  Now that my daughter is a teenager and I deal with her teenage attitude, I quickly realize how lucky I truly am!  (wink, wink!)

Pay it Forward to great 12 blogs you have recently enjoyed.
 

Mark@ Our Simple Lives- You must go visit his blog.  Some of his posts will make you cry, so have a box of Kleenex nearby.  I adore Mark!  I wish we could be neighbors.
 
Optimistic Mom@ Life is Hard, Laugh Anyway-  Reading her blog feels like good ole fashioned girl talk.  

Jami@ Hello from the Nato's- Jami is awesome 'nuff said.

Tatum@ Many Moments Of Me- Tatum is hilarious!  I enjoy her writing style.  I think she should write books.  Just sayin, Tatum!

Jihane@ Sinful Sundays- Jihane enjoys cooking as much as do.  I think we'd make great friends!

Kahli & Milla@ Design Par Deux- Identical twins, passionate about design and site full of jaw-dropping makeovers.

Jen@ I believe in Love- I'm so glad she found my blog, then in turn I discovered hers.  She inspires me to be a better person.

Diaries of a Grumpy Grateful Mom- "The Chaos and Confidence of Motherhood" She never fails to make me laugh!

Julia@ Dr. Princess- If you're in the Atlanta area you should follow her blog.  She knows all the really cool places to eat, in and around the city.

Teresa@ Meadowbrook Farm- Her pictures are amazing.  She has such a beautiful farm.

Latoya@ The Scott's Crib- You must check out her pantry makeover.

and last, but certainly not least, Candace@ Mi Chiamo Candace- Through blogging, I have met some very talented, helpful and motivational bloggers.  Candace is one of them. A dear blogging buddy!

Thank you ladies for honoring me with both awards.  I love that you guys thought of me!

How To Hang A Wall Object With Two Hooks

 I purchased this wall hook from Garden Ridge to use in the bathroom, for my kids to hang their towels on.

Once I got home, I realized hanging it would be a little tricky!  

Ugh... the dreaded "two hook" back!

I realize there is a more technical way to hang this.  I am neither technical or patient, so this is what I did!  I tore off a few sheets of paper towels the same length as my hook (select-a-size paper towels work best).  *Be sure to place the paper towels level with the top of your wall hook.  Then using my screwdriver, I marked a spot on the paper towel for each hook.

Hold the paper towel in place with a piece of tape.  Then screw your screws(ha ha) into the wall on the marks you created with the screwdriver.

Make sure the screws are nearly flush with the wall, otherwise there will be a gap in between the wall and the hook.

Next, remove the paper towels.  Now that your screws are up, you are ready to hang your hook!

You're done!  Simply hang your hook on the wall (or in my case, the door) and stand back to admire your handiwork.

*Thank you so much to Diane @ In My Own Style for featuring my tip on her Facebook page and website and Brittany @ Pretty Handy Girl for featuring my tip as well!

*I recently updated the bathroom. You can view the space by clicking here!