Sunday, October 16, 2011

Nutella goodness

I've been in a baking mood lately, and what is there better to bake with than anything with Nutella?  Oh my goodness, I could eat that stuff by the spoonful {and chances are I do!}.  I wanted to make some cookies for my volleyball team and when I went to look for a recipe, I never really found what I was looking for....so I made one up and not to pat myself on the back, BUT these are stinkin' amazing.

Nutella Cake Mix Cookies
1 package of yellow cake mix {I think Pillsbury works best by far!}
3/4 cup of Nutella
2 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable/canola oil
1 cup of chocolate chips

Mix first 5 ingredients till well mixed.  Then, stir in chocolate chips.  Bake at 350 for 8 minutes or until the top is just starting to crinkle.  They kinda stick to the pan, but if you use a spatula to take them off when they are still warm, you can get them off pretty easily. 

This is just one of my happy customers....

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Decorating ADD

I took a quiz in a magazine a few weeks ago and was somewhat surprised by the results...don't worry it had nothing to do with romance or finding my soul mate {I've already got all that : ) }.  This quiz had to do with adult ADD and I think maybe I've just diagnosed myself with a mild case of it.  I've also contributed my constant home-decorating to it....well, that and I just enjoy it. : )  Anyway, I said all that to say I've changed up the Living Room a bit....tried my hand at a little art {using that word very loosely}, put some signs of fall up, and just did some simple rearranging.  Check it out...no biggie, but for a busy mom, I'm loving the little refreshers...

Ok, I spent $6 of my birthday money on this gorgeous orange fabric {found it on the bolt at a thrift store with my sister-in-law}.  That's basically free, right?  I originally planned on using it for reupholstery, but I am loving the color it bring to the neutral walls.  I'm thinking about adding a stencil to it....any thoughts???

Just a change to the TV stand....I'm thinking that pumpkin needs a black bow.  Don't you love balance?

Here's my little artwork.  I whipped this up one morning this week and I think I'm really liking the pattern in this room.  Especially with the dark leather couch, it really brightens up the space and makes it more interesting.  No one better look too close though...a perfectionist is one thing I am not!  Best part about it...I had all the material so this project was FREE! I'm thinking it will look great with a wreath hanging over it in a couple months.
What are you doing around your home?  Any fall spruce-ups or just a little decorating ADD like me?  Either way, it just always amazes me how one little quick change can make the biggest difference.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Furniture Facelift : : Girls' desk

I am getting so excited at how my girls' room is coming along and this is probably my favorite piece so far in the room.  Both beds are painted and finished, I found a dresser and nightstand that has been refinished as well {minus a broken drawer}.  Pictures are on the walls and and now I'm just shopping for the bedding.  I needed a little desk for the room and really didn't want to spend any more money on furniture and you can only keep your eye out on people's curbs for so long, right? ; )  So, I shopped the house and remembered I had this piece that I wasn't sold on for the living room...



It's actually an old sewing machine that used to me my grandmas, but I thought it would make the perfect little desk for the girls' room.  Their beds are orange and the rest of the furniture is white so I thought something in between would be perfect {and once again without making orange look circus-y}.  So I started with a coat of primer and and then a couple coats of white paint.  Then I put a custom spin on it to make it a perfect fit for this room...all done with just a little painters tape....




It doesn't come out great in pics, but there's also a light pink stripe {the color of the walls} in it to help tie it all together.  I left the original hardware on...cause I liked it.  The sewing machine is still completely functional {although with fabric tape in the house, I'm not sure it's going to be used any time soon : ) }.  I LOVE how it turned out...just need to figure out a place to put all their desktop items...cause I don't want to cover this baby up! ;)


Penny Lane Designs