Steel Wool + Vinegar + Coffee Stain = Tetanus Booster!

So as I alluded to in yesterday's post, the mystery in the mason jar was to help me refinish the DIY coffee and end tables. I finally got to try the vinegar, steel wool, coffee stain....

And why is there no post on the outcome today? That would be because I spent the better part of the day dragging the kids around town trying to get a tetanus booster after a cut from the steel wool. I starting googling tetanus and of course my last booster was when I was 18 and heading off to college! I major freaked out but thankfully I am now vaccinated and will be back tomorrow to give all the dirty details.

The 2013 List

Yes, I am a touch slow on the resolutions and to do list for 2013, but I figure as long as I get it out there and make it happen that's what really matters right? So here is my to do list for 2013! I am pretty sure there will be lots of little spur of the moment additions too!

Gallery Shelving (DIY and figure out where it should go!)
Leaning Mirror
Fix sectional Slipcover
Refinish Kitchen table
Laundry Room Plan
Guest room bed and Nightstand
Dining Room (Lamps, Table, Bar, Shelves)
Rug for Family Room?
Stain DIY Coffee Tables
Office Plan
Master Rework
Update Cleaning Calendar

And I am starting right in! Tune in tomorrow to figure out what in the world this will be helping me to cross off!

Happy Blogiversary!

Well, I missed my true blog birthday! But I am still very excited to have made it a whole year! In the last year, so much has changed... I thought it would be fun to look back and see the most popular posts that I have had in the last year.

Of course Pinterest provided the #1 post with the Paint Dipped Lampshade! If I ever were to complete project using paint sticks again, I would buy them in bulk vs driving to store after store to gather 10 at a time!

Funny that the #2 post would happen to be precisely what I posted about yesterday. It's looks like yall liked my Pegboard Pantry too! Make sure to check out the one in the new house here.

And rounding out the top 3 are the Striped Lampshades. A super easy way to jazz up a cheapie lamp and to really make your room pop!

I am very sad to report that both the paint dipped lampshades and the striped lampshades did not fare well in the move. As I removed each of them from their boxes, I was sad to see about half of the paint sticks removed from the shade and that the striped shades had literally been squashed. So it's back to the drawing board for my green lamps who are now naked!

New baby, new city, new house, and with that comes a whole new list of to dos for the upcoming year! Tune in tomorrow for that post!

Pegboard in the Pantry

We are still in the midst of the holiday madness here! Is it already Friday? With New Years, a visit from friends on the 1st, and a quickie trip to New Orleans for the Sugar Bowl (thanks to the grandparents for letting us have a kid free trip!) it's been a busy week indeed! Thus the New Years resolutions start around here next week...

But one of the first things I checked off my to do list just might prove to be very helpful for those of you trying to get organized. It was honestly one of the favorite DIY projects to date and I was very happy to be able replicate it in our new house. In fact I loved it so much that this was up and functioning day 2 in the house before I even got my closet unpacked. Yeah, that is love! So here is the Pegboard Pantry version 2! Apologies for poor picture quality, the camera charger is still missing so all of these are via my new iPhone!

Unfortunately, I did not chronicle the step by step process this time (with being surrounded by 496 boxes and such) but luckily I captured it all in my original peg pantry post. The only difference was that this time the hubs decided to use wood instead of the peg spacers to mount the pegboard to the wall. Its a little easier than trying to hold the spacers and screw them in while working in a tight space like a pantry.

Just think of all the time and drawer space you will save with this easy and inexpensive project!

Linking up at Serenity Now!

A New Christmas Tradition... Homemade Cocoa

Since we were solo for Christmas this year I decided to add some new special traditions. One of the easiest and most received was this delicious homemade hot cocoa. Little Man wasn't particularly impressed but he was pretty distracted with his newly delivered green Ybike! Next time I make it gonna mix it up dark chocolate chips and maybe add a chocolate dipped candy cane stirrer! Yummy! Or maybe I will serve it as a New Years drink with a little Kahlua.... 

Of course, I made a few changes! The recipe is linked below but my version is as follows:

5 tablespoons semi sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups 1% milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mini marshmallows

Dump everything except the marshmallows into a saucepan.
Put the pan on the stove and turn on the heat to medium.
Stir continually with a wooden spoon for about 5 minutes. Dont let it boil!
Pour into mugs and top with marshmallows.

Makes 3 servings.

The Recipe

Linking up with Serenity Now

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

I hope that everyone has had a very Merry Christmas! We had a very quiet day with out little family! We have started some new traditions and spent lots of quality time together just enjoying each other. It was just what the doctor ordered after the last few months of chaos. I love that thru technology we have also been able to share this special day with our families who are not here with this us today!

And here's a little peak at what our day looked like!

We are alive and almost moved in!

It's been a crazy month or so around our household! We sold our house (buyers put a contract on it sight unseen!), found a new house, hubs started his new job, moved out of our house solo, moved in with my parents for a few weeks, and finally last Friday closed on our new house!

I am in love with the area and our new home (minus these pesky few boxes that remain!) 

Unfortunately, we are still lacking in the Internet department..... So until then I will remain MIA!