Walk In Closet...Built Ins!!

I have the best/handiest husband ever!  I was away for the weekend with the kids, visiting family.  I came home to this...

Not the best picture, but its the beginning of built ins for our walk in closet.  He had measured, designed, and stained all the wood, and I was loving it!

I went to work emptying the existing closet, it all got put into the guest room.  I vowed to go through it all and not put it all back in.  There was some extreme cleaning needed!  The closet also got painted, from tan to a light blue. 

Before shots:

(Yes I color code it all...its just easier for me :))

Some more staining and cutting was needed and then the install was ready to begin.  This whole project took about a week, and cost under $300.

We put in a new light fixture, more modern and you can direct the lighting.

I wasted no time filling it up.  I was able to fit about the same amount of "stuff" in the closet.  I have a lot more hanging space and shelving for clothes.  I was still able to fit our suitcases in, which was good because I had no idea where else they would go.  I am still searching for the perfect bins, I purchased the white ones from IKEA, but they are so plain.  I like the polka dot ones, thinking of getting a few more.  I keep scarves and swimsuits in the large one.  

This is jewelry holder/photo frame I had received as a gift.  I think it looks perfect in the closet.  

I love our new closet it makes me feel so much more organized, and I think it looks beautiful!

Another before/after



The.Best.Cornbread.Ever

I got this recipe from my sister, who I think got it from my aunt...anyway it is our family's favorite cornbread recipe and oh so easy!  I made it last week to go with some yummy taco soup, it is also great to tote along to potlucks. 

While preheating your oven to 375, put 1/4 cup of butter in a baking dish (8x8)
Mix can of cream corn, 8 oz corn muffin mix, 2 eggs, 1 cup sour cream, and 2 Tablespoons sugar all together.  When butter is melted in the baking dish remove it from the oven and pour the mix in.  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Enjoy it is really yummy!

You can also use more butter if you would like, the original recipe calls for 1/2 cup, but I find that 1/4 is good enough for us.  Also there has been a time where I only have one egg left so it was going to have to do, and it turned out just fine.


Cornbread
1 can cream corn
8 oz corn muffin mix
2 eggs
1 Cup Sour cream
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/4 Cup of butter

Garlic Chicken Pizza

Garlic Chicken Pizza. Yum!  My mom use to make this recipe for us when I was younger, and I loved it.  It seems like since then a lot of pizza places have their own take on this dish.  This particular recipe doesn't have a white sauce, which is nice.  It's a very easy recipe to put together and can be semi-made ahead, like maybe during naptime, which is always awesome!  My family loves this pizza, even the kids!

I dice up the chicken and then marinate it in the garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, and chili powder.  Then let it sit for at least 30 minutes.  Then remove all the chicken pieces, saving the rest of the marinade.  Heat a another tablespoon of oil in a skillet and cook chicken until no longer pink.  Stir cornstarch into the remaining marinade and to skillet.  Cook until bubbly and it appears thicker.  Spoon onto the already made pizza crust and Bake at 400 for 12-14 minutes. 

You can add more or less soy sauce and vinegar and make it as saucey as you would like :)  I am not a big on measuring when I cook, unless I'm baking, but these measurements should be good, but adjust them to your taste buds if you would like. 

Garlic Chicken Pizza
1 pizza crust (like Boboli or a store brand)
2 Chicken Breasts
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar (or you could substitue white vinegar)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon olive oil
a splash of chili powder
1 Tablespoon cornstarch
Mozzarella and Cheddar Cheese

Laundry Room Update!

My super handy husband decided it was time to make me some pedastals for my washer and dryer machine.  He had them done in one weekend, and I am loving them.  I had painted the laundry room about a year ago and now I really feel like it is more finished.  You have to pass through the laundry room to get to our garage so, it is a very narrow place, which made it hard to take pictures.

Here are a couple before shots

 I snapped some photos in the process, in case you have someone handy in your life and would like to try and build one similiar to mine.  Trust me these things are built to last, there is no worries that it can't hold up to some heavy loads of multiple pairs of jeans!

                                     

I purchased the underneath baskets and Target and first I was going to have two baskets, but figured it would add a lot of storage if I crammed four underneath there.

Another added bonus is the convenience of not bending over as much to load and unload.  The storage underneath is a great space to hide things. 

This a towel rack we picked up at Goodwill, that is perfect for hanging some cleaners on.

I love my updated laundry room and all the extra storage that it now provides. 



A Few Vinyl Projects with My Silhouette Cameo

My hubby suprised me a with a Silhouette Cameo for my birthday!  I was shocked and overwhelmed with all the crafts that I could now make!  I had entered to win one on a few blogs when they had giveaways, but no such luck for this chick.  I couldl not believe he had gotten me one.  The problem was when I had a few spare moments to get to craftin - I froze.  I had to put some thought into what I wanted to dive into. 

First I made a new "No Soliciting" out of vinyl that I placed directly on our house.  It looks so much better than the standard one we had purchased at Home Depot. 

Next I chose a simple swirl design, cut the vinyl out, and placed it on my Kitchenaid mixer so spice it up a bit!  I love it! 

I am so excited to see what else I can make with my new cameo!