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!

Favorite Things In My Town

  Today I'm joining the link party over at Centsational Girl where you're invited to share favorite things about where you live!

  I'm originally from New Jersey and my husband's a native of Philadelphia.  Although we've lived in Georgia since 1998,  my family and I recently moved to the metro-Atlanta area in 2007.  Atlanta's a beautiful city.  It's clean and very diverse.  There's a lot to see and do.

Little Creek Horse Farm- Atlanta's only public horse farm.  You can enjoy access to the farm, pony rides and riding demonstrations.

 Cagle's Family Farm is just a short drive away from anyone living in the metro-Atlanta area!  They offer farm and dairy tours.  During the Fall, they have a giant maze and a pumpkin patch.

I love the zoo!  Zoo Atlanta is a great way to spend an afternoon.

Mountain Park Aquatic Center- so much more than I expected from a public pool!  It's a fantastic place to visit.

Turner Field- A great place for Baseball lovers. 

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The High Museum of Art- The special exhibits are amazing. 

Fox Theatre- A marvelous place for concerts and plays.  A beautiful building with a lot of Atlanta history.  I didn't see Larry The Cable Guy, although I hear he puts on a great show.  His show happened to be displayed on the marquee at the time of my visit.

Centennial Olympic Park, Located across from the Georgia Aquarium and the CNN Center.  My family enjoys walking through the park.  The Olympic Rings fountain is great fun during the summer as well as the ice-skating rink in the winter.  Overall, the park is a nice place to visit.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site

  The Center is a fantastic tribute to an amazing man.  You can visit Dr. King's birthplace as well as Ebenezer Baptist Church nearby.

Stone Mountain Park- I love bringing my children here.  We always enjoy ourselves.  The best part about Stone Mountain is the trek up the mountain.  Although I do not recommend walking up a steep mountain at night, in the rain!

  Winter activities include Snow Mountain.  It’s fun for those of us who don’t normally get to play in the snow.  There are lots of different activities from tubing to building snowmen!

 

  Atlanta is full of great places to eat.  Copeland's on Barrett Pkwy. never disappoints.  Their menu is delicious.  Their bananas foster cheesecake is to die for!

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Dekalb Farmers Market- was one of the reasons we moved to this area.  Food from everywhere!  I was blown away by the variety and prices found here: meat, seafood, deli, bakery, wine, groceries, flowers, and aisle after aisle of fresh produce.  This place is amazing!

Hope you enjoyed my tour!

PS. All photos are mine, except for the last one.

Coffee Ice Cream Recipe

There isn't anything better than homemade ice cream straight from your ice cream maker, well maybe!  So delicious, your taste-testers will assume you scooped it out of a container.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• Pinch of salt
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 cup whipping cream

Directions

In a saucepan, combine the sweetened condensed milk, whipping cream, evaporated milk, coffee and salt until well blended.  Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens.  Remove from the heat; cool completely. 

Pour mixture into the bowl of your ice cream maker.  Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.  After ice cream is made, cover tightly and freeze until ready to serve.

Enjoy!