Some Pinterest-y Reviews

Last week was awesome to say the least!

I am always amazed at how the time off between semesters always seem to be just enough, even if it is just a week and a half or so, I always seem to get everything done, which is absolutely wonderful!

That being said, last week I tried some of my pins out and here they are:

1. Chicken Picatta (without white wine)

This was a definite WIN.  Loved it! 

I wanted to try a recipe that did not use white wine because I always feel super wasteful opening a bottle for one recipe. I haven't been drinking lately due to headaches, so it just sits in the back of the fridge for way. too. long. I also used bottled lemon juice rather than fresh lemons, which worked just fine :)

2. Cleaned our pillows
This was SO much easier than I had imagined.  I washed two pillows at a time and it took me two dry cycles on low to get them fully dry, but the tennis ball/sock trick worked perfectly!  No rubbery tennis ball smell and the pillows did get fluffed & dry.

3. Cookie Cake Pie

This one was disappointing :(

My husband absolutely loves cookie cake, so I tried this recipe titled "Best Homemade Cookie Cake " on Pinterest. 

Not the case.

The taste was good, but the consistency was very crumbly.  Which was frustrating, because I did not overcook it, the cookie still had plenty of moisture, just not great consistency.

The only reason I could think of that this short coming would be my fault is because I used chocolate chips rather than M&Ms.

So, if you try this recipe with M&Ms & it turns out well, let me know and I will give it another chance!

Finally, my favorite,

4) Chalkboard Painted Plate

I was SUPER excited about this one.  I bought a pewter plate at a thrift store a few weeks ago, but it had stains where the food would be.  I figured while serving on it I could use a doilie or something to cover it up.  So, when I saw this tutorial, I knew this was perfect for this plate. 
I did not follow the same tutorial as on the link above.  I applied two layers of basic acrilic black paint and then two layers of chalkboard topcoat with a sponge, all of which I purchased at hobby lobby.  No tape or spray painting required. LOVE it!

  

Also, was super pumped because visiting Hobby Lobby saw that they had nativity sets!  I searched high and low for one I liked and that was not too expensive last year without success. So, yes, I was the person who bought a nativity set in the middle of August, and could not have been happier!

I will be sure to show better pictures in December-ish, when I actually take it out of the box :P
I am a huge "remember the reason for the season" person. I use that cheesy line as little as I possibly can, but truly was excited to find such an iconic centerpiece for our home.

Anyways, hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,

and through each night I sing his songs,

praying to God who gives me life

Psalm 42:8

Peace for Today, and Confidence for Tomorrow

Classes start tomorrow.

And honestly, I am kind of surprised at how chill I am today.

Usually I am in an anxious tizzy to get EVERYTHING done, but right now seems like just another day.

Things are happening, God is moving in ways I can't even grasp yet, and I get to contently spend my last day of summer in peace.

Switching loads of laundry, washing pillows, scrubbing the tub, I am getting ready for a crazy semester, but am not living with this dooms day attitude, which is very uncharacteristic of me.

I have been more disciplined about being in the Bible over these past three weeks than I ever have before and it truly is amazing what God will do with faithfulness!

I go into this semester with this verse at the forefront of my mind:

"Be strong and courageous! Don't be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria or his mighty army, for there is a power far greater on our side! He may have a great army, but they are merely men. We have the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles for us!"

Hezekiah's words greatly encouraged the people
2 Chronicles 32:7-8

This life is not my battle to fight, it has already been won.

Who or whatever your "Assyria" is gives you no reason to fear!

Anyways, happy Wednesday and I hope you can begin this next year with the confidence and hope of the Lord!

Photo Credit



My Very First (Completed) DIY

So, I am fabulous at beginning a DIY project and letting my husband or parents be the "yourself" part (at least when it comes to big projects).  I am typically the one with all the ideas and the start up... but not so much finish to it. Until now!

As you may know by now, we live in a very cozy little 1 bedroom apartment.  Space is like gold, so using it efficiently is essential.  I tried to throw things we no longer needed away, but somehow piles of papers started to accumulate.  With classes, bills, and all sorts of other stuff, it was no wonder our little file box was not fitting the bill.

I was not at all happy about the idea of having our cute little home dominated by an uglier-than-brown file cabinet. I started looking for alternatives. It was then I came across this idea on Pinterest.  My parents had offered us an old file cabinet, so the wheels started turning...

While it looks better than the icky brown file cabinet, it still wasn't something I particularly cared for, so I started my usual brainstorming and found this image.

So, I compromised. For the price of the first and as close as I could get to the look of the second, this is what happened:

(excuse the poorly made bed)

Just sayin... for a relative shot in the dark idea, I'm pretty proud of how it turned out

As far as step by step goes:

I measured the dimensions of the cabinet, made a quick trip to Lowe's, to pick up some bead board and trim . The salesman that helped me suggested using those little corner pieces because I didn't have a special saw to mitre (?) the corners with.  I used (A LOT of) Elmer's carpenter glue to attach the beadboard and let it sit with clamps on over night.  Then added the trim in the morning and it was ready to caulk that evening.

I used white Rustoleum spray paint so it would stick to the metal and wood and not scratch with every little thing I set on it.  Overall, I am super happy with how it all turned out, I may try to add a rub to it down the road to make it look less white white, but for now it does its job and our space still feels like a home.

We decided to use it to replace my bedside table so our living room wouldn't look too furniture filled. It works perfectly, and no more paper piles :)

Anyway, this guy is about as subtle as a gun when its time for his walk, so please enjoy the post, and have a happy Tuesday! :)