Enjoying the Weekend

My daughters were away for the weekend, so it was the perfect opportunity to try some Pinterest Pins.

1.  I painted my front door with an eye popping color for curb appeal.   
2. Made the Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake
3. Tried cutting a wine bottle with string

My front door is now Cranberry. I would rather have a new door, but this will do for now.


I baked the Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake that I pinned several months ago.  The cake is delicious and is as close as you will get to a Cinnabon without going to the mall. The cinnamon filling has the gooey texture that sticks to your fork and probably your arteries.





http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2012/02/cinnabon-cinnamon-roll-cake-recipe.html

Cutting wine bottles with a string was third on the list.  I pinned this so I could make this really artsy wind chime from wine bottles.  The wine bottle cutting videos are all over the Internet and Pinterest. I was worried that this project would end with a trip to the emergency room, but it did not.  It looked really easy, but as you can see I am still without my wind chime. I will continue working on this project. The bottle I used was imported from Germany, maybe I will try a domestic wine and have better luck.

Don't Hold The Mayo





Apparently I have a problem.  I am guilty of drinking in bed and not using a coaster. My bed side table is evidence of this problem.  While on Pinterest, I noticed a Pin about using mayonnaise to remove water stains from wood.  It sounds crazy, but it actually worked.  I am not a fan of mayonnaise, so being able to use it for something like this intrigued me.



I squeezed the mayo onto the water stains and let it sit for about 15 minutes. 

When I returned this is what I found.  Mickey my lab could not resist tasting my experiment.

I wiped off the mayo and buffed the table with a soft cloth and this is what it looks like now.

I may need to redo the corner that was licked, but I am pleased with the results. No more water stains.

Blessing and a Curse Cookies

It has been so hot this summer I have not wanted to fire up the oven and stand in front of it for two hours to make cookies. I've been searching my recipe archives to find something that is easy and edible.  The two do not always go together.  Peanut Butter Krispie Squares is what I found and we have made them several times this summer. The chocolate topping is not necessary. My daughter said "they are a blessing and a curse" and I couldn't agree more. 

Peanut Butter Krispie Squares



9 c Rice Krispies (Cheerios work well too)

3/4 c brown sugar

3/4 c light corn syrup

3/4 c peanut butter

3/4 t vanilla

Optional topping

1 c chocolate chips

1/2 c butterscotch chips

3T peanut butter

Grease a 9x13 pan with butter.

Combine sugar and corn syrup in a dutch oven or large saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, to a full rolling boil.  Remove mixture from heat, stir in peanut butter and vanilla.  Pour in cereal.  Mix until well coated.  Press firmly into prepared pan.  Optional topping can be prepared at this time.

Topping instructions:  Combine topping ingredients in a double boiler and melt.  Spread over bars and cool in refrigerator until chocolate is set.

Miracle In A Bottle

Many of my friends have heard me raving about the greatest cleaning product in the world.  I have never been so excited to clean in my entire life.  The way my windows look in these photos you will probably think that I never clean. I do, but I have a messy family. Yes, I found this recipe on Pinterest and I am happy to say I will never buy Windex again.  This spray cleans greasy finger prints and does not leave streaks.

The recipe has three ingredients which you may already have in your home.  Water, white vinegar, and Dawn dish washing liquid.  Take an empty spray bottle and fill it to the top with water.  Add a drop of Dawn and a splash of vinegar. Screw on the top and shake.  Spray on the area you want to clean and wipe dry with paper towels or a cloth.



BEFORE


The glass had a greasy sunscreen cheek print from my daughters.



AFTER



BEFORE

The window above is Labrador height, so it is always full of dog spit. I seriously clean the windows twice a day because of the dog.





AFTER



The Pinterest pin says this spray can also be used to clean counter tops, which I have tried and am pleased with the results.  Yesterday I also sprayed it on my ceramic tile floor to spot clean and it worked great too. The pin also claims the spray leaves a slight residue on counter tops that is not harmful and repels ants.

















Wall of Fame

I love old family photos.  They don't even have to be photos of my family.  Looking at old photos in a museum stirs up stories in my head. I wonder what the person was like and want to know their story.  I have created a Wall of Fame in the foyer of my home.  It helps personalize our home and serves as a visual family tree of sorts. It is definitely a conversation starter. My Wall of Fame is a work in progress, as the family grows so does the wall. This is a portion of the wall. The plaque in the middle says "Home -Where your story begins."

This could be an expensive project, if you purchased the frames at a retail store.  I have collected these frames as gifts, cast offs, and garage sales. My recent garage sale acquisition was five frames for $0.50.  How could I pass them up?

Once again I grabbed my favorite spray paint and went to work. I think the final product will be a nice addition to the wall.

Gift Ideas

Today is my nephew's graduation party.  I hate giving money in a card as a gift, that just isn't creative enough.  I saw this great idea on my favorite site Pinterest and had to try it.



Of course I did not have an empty tissue box.  Last week I had three boxes that went in the trash, but that's another story.  Off to the store I went to buy tissues.  I removed the tissues from the box and saved them to insert in the empty box in the car.


I then taped the dollars together to fold and insert into the box.  My husband thought I was crazy. Sometimes he is right (but not always).

I inserted the money, taped the box and added ribbon and a gift tag that said "Congratulations!  Don't Blow It!"  So much better than a card with money. 

Gift card bouquets are also great gifts.  I recently made one for a sick friend.  Several friends contributed to the gift.  My friend and her family loved it.

The bouquet included her favorite gift cards, mini liquor bottles, candy, and money.  I taped the cards and other items to wooden skewers and inserted them into floral foam.  This should last longer than flowers and is practical if you a practical gift giver.  

Chair Re-do



I am armed with my trusty can of spray paint again to finish the garage sale chairs. Still using Kona Brown Gloss.  The chairs will be used in the girl's rooms with their desks.  



BEFORE





I had to remove the seat and do some sanding. The seats were taken apart and I added new thicker foam, because I anticipate the lots of sitting while doing homework.  New fabric was purchased to coordinate with their bedrooms.



AFTER


I found the foam in the attic (my husband is a pack rat) and purchased a yard of canvass fabric at JoAnn's for $5.40. The total cost for two chairs, paint and fabric was $19.40. Add my labor and they are priceless.



Hooked on Pinterest

I've been MIA searching the Pinterest Boards.  Somehow I have managed collect 281 pins and have decided it might be a good idea to try out some of these Pins. The Pin about cooking hashbrowns in the waffle iron sounded like a great idea, but was not so wonderful in real life.  I have decided to try some Pins and share the results with you. Hope you enjoy the journey. 

I have been inspired by the Pins about breathing new life into old furniture and upcycling.  I purchased a vanity, two chairs and four picture frames while shopping at some garage sales in my neighborhood.  The purchases set me back $10.50.  It will definitely cost more to transform them, but hopefully the result will be fabulous.

BEFORE

I wanted to transform this vanity into a desk for my daughter's room.  Perfect size and not to many drawers to stash her treasures.  It took a little sandpaper and some paint. This paint is great!  It dries quickly, offers great coverage and also adheres to plastic. The color is Kona Brown Gloss.

This is the transformed piece.  I am pleased with results. The paint did set me back $4.00 for this project, but I think it was a great investment.

AFTER

I did manage to bake some zucchini bread during this transformation process.  I will let you know how that turned out tomorrow.

Zucchini Envy

I am enjoying my zucchini harvest and my neighbor's harvest.  My zucchini are small, but my neighbor's zucchini are monsters.  By monsters I mean at least 14 inches long and 4 inches in diameter.  These monsters can yield about 10 cups of shredded zucchini.  This week alone I have made Zucchini Gratin, Garden Vegetable Enchilada's, and Zucchini Bread.  This is the bread I made during my Pinterest transformation I posted yesterday.

Zucchini Bread

1 1/2 C shredded zucchini (1 medium)
1/2 C oil
1 C sugar
2 eggs
2 t vanilla
1/2 t baking soda
1t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking powder
1 1/2 C flour
1C chopped pecans

Combine oil, sugar, eggs and vanilla in mixing bowl and beat until combined. Add baking soda, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and flour. Beat to combine. Scrape bowl as needed.  Stir in nuts and zucchini.  Pour into greased and floured 9x5 loaf pan.  Bake at 350F for 1 1/4 hours or until loaf tests done in middle. Can also make 12 muffins and bake 375F for 20 minutes.




I have included another Pinterest project for you to enjoy.  I used the Pinterest recipe of 2 T fabric softener in a spray bottle of water.  Spray the tangled and matted doll hair with this solution and you are magically able to get a comb through the doll hair. I admit this doll's hair was not that bad, but it was unable to be combed. The  AFTER photo shows a smoother look almost like new.

BEFORE



AFTER

Check in for more Pinterest reviews.