Cling Wrap Nails

I saw this nail post on one of my favorite blogs. It is super simple and looks amazing balls!

Don't mind my blurry picture. Anyways here are the steps.
Pre-prep: cut up ten pieces of cling wrap (Saran wrap).
#1: paint your base and then first color.
#2: let completely dry!!
#3: paint your second color.
#4: right away grab a cling wrap piece and dab dab that top color.
#5: let dry and add top coat.

Be amazed at how cool your nails look!! It's like marble nails without the taping and work. Love it!!

Shutters

Our new house had some pretty sad looking shutters, we decided to make our own. Ryan is rather handy with a circular saw and a nail gun. I hand stained them to match the trellis's that I also stained. I think they look great and will match the deck once it it stained!

I also attached a picture of what we did to one of the old shutters. Hello, mail/ key station! That's the blue distressed shutter. Love it!

Hope you enjoy the pictures and I hope you do something crafty soon!

Emily

Strawberry rhubarb crisp

One of my favorites to make. Follow the below link to get the full recipe.

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/rhubarb-strawberry-crunch/

I am lucky enough to have a great-uncle and mother the supplied me with the strawberries and rhubarb from their gardens. I feel that buying local is just as good if you can. YUM!!

   

Late Planting

My life is a tornado lately. But... There is something I must do every year and that's planting annuals. They only last the summer and I always buy to much.

Who cares though right? Its sooo fun! I usually plant the weekend before memorial day, but i was moving.

Here are a couple of my favorite pictures.

Hope it inspires you to do some gardening of your own. I don't recommend planting in 95 degree heat like me though  hehehe. Happy Planting!

DYI Tree

I have had a lot of people question how I did this tree. I honestly hand drew and painted it on the wall. There are a lot of ways to get the same effect if you are not as creative as me. I have included how I did my tree and how else you can get the same look below.

Drawing:
I started by drawing the stump of the tree. Use a good quality pencil with an eraser. No one is perfect and you will need to erase at some point. Avoid straight lines while drawing. Makes the tree look more natural. When you get to drawing the branches I recommend you start on one side of the tree and move the other direction. I'm left handed so it was more natural for me to work right to left.

Painting:
I used one large brush and one small brush. You can use as many sizes as you like. When I paint I tend to stick to one to two brushes. The paint I used was behr ultra flat antique copper. It was a sample can from my dining room that I used here instead. When you paint try to paint high to low as you will avoid putting your palm in the already painted part. Another tip is to paint the opposite of your dominate hand. ( right to left for me since I'm a lefty)

It took me five hours and was worth every moment!

Want the same look but don't want to paint or are not creative?

Other options are:
Use a stencil and then paint
Buy a decal and apply it to your wall
Hire a muralist

The first two options you can google search or use etsy. :-)

I hope my adorable tree makes you want to do something creative of your own.

XoXo Em

Mother's Day

As you all know I am not a Mother. But... I was raised by an amazing one and an amazing Grandmother at that. In honor of them I would like to share not one, but two recipes today. One from each. I hope they warm your heart and fill your bellys full like they have mine.

Lisa's Meatloaf ( my mom makes the best)

2 pounds of hamburger meat
1 small onion
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp of garlic
1 egg
1tbsp worchester sauce (important)
1-1 1/2 cup smashed crackers (saltines)
season to taste with Natures Seasoning or Mrs. Dash if you want to limit the salt.

Mix together all ingredients (use your hands, trust me). Place in a loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1-1 1/2 hours.

I always eat it with ketchup. Its amazing!



Grandma Emer's Peanut Butter Cookies (mouth watering)

NOTE: This is for a single batch. My mom and I always double it.

1/2 cup shortening (half butter or margarine, softened)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Mix throughly shortening, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and egg. Blend flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Cover and chill.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Shape dough into 1 inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheet. With fork dipped in flour, flatten in crisscross pattern to 2 inches. Bake 10-12 minutes or until set but not hard.

Should make 3 dozen cookes.

Paint Colors

We are counting down till the days we move into our new house. I find that I have an itch to paint, paint and paint some more. Thought I would share some of my paint colors.

The first color is for the main kitchen-dining area. (currently purple and pink).

The second color is for an accent wall in the dining room. (currently purple and pink sponge wall::vomit::)

Lastly, the green is for the laundryroom-bathroom. Which currently has a nasty dolphin theme.

Some great ideas for the start of something exciting!

House Update

I have had a ton of text messages and Facebook messages asking for an update, so here it is.

As many if you know our appraisal has been messed up. Something that should take four days took two weeks. Note to anyone that is considering buying a house give yourself plenty of  time to close. Unexpected delays that are out of your control will happen. Ryan and I are now in the stage of signing alot of paperwork. We officially close May 18th. Wish us luck!

Jacked up car.

Thought everyone would love to see my destroyed car.

Packing For Moving

There is nothing I loathe more than packing. I would say that folding clothes comes in second though. I personally think I have hording tendencies. I mean I get all worked up at donating a dumb mug for coffee that I have not used in like 3 years. Thank goodness for Ryan he ropes me back in. I managed to pack a whole box of kitchen glassware today without freaking out today. SUCCESS!

Then I realized I only had one box to pack. Oh boy. If anyone had extra boxes laying around let me know. I am going to need an army of boxes. How do two people accumulate so much stuff? I mean seriously we only have a two bedroom duplex. Oh well moving is so happening and I need to get out of my lazy and make it happen.

New House, New House, whoot whoot.

Thank god I will not be moving…. Like ever hopefully after this.

The Lonely Glassware Box

One step closer to home ownership!

Did our house inspection today and we didn't find out anything we didn't already know about the property. With that said we are slowly creeping closer to our closing. Yey!!

House

Hey All,

I know I have not been updating lately but trust me I have a good excuse. I am in the process of buying a house. Everyone and their brother keeps asking for pictures so I have included them on here. Now, these pictures are horrid, the realtor did not do a good job taking them. I just want you to all get an idea of what it looks like. I have included the description that the realtor had posted of the property below. If all goes well with inspection and appraisal this puppy is all Ryan and mine's. Cross your fingers for us. J


::::Spacious 3bdrm 3 full bath home. Has updated kitchen new cabinets, corian counter,s Pergo floor, appliances inc. + wine refrig. Living rm w/fireplace. New french patio doors. Come relax in Lg LL rec rm w/daylight windows. 1st floor laundry freshly painted; new windows, exterior doors. Mst w/bath + walk-in closet, 3 car gar w/new doors. Wooded lot fenced patio & deck.:::::

Front of House

Extra bedroom (pet's room?)

Dining area

Kitchen

Kitchen

Upstairs living room

Upstairs living room again

Downstairs living room

Master bath

Master bedroom

Part of the downstairs living room

This will be a walk-in closet.

Sylt lingon

Ika lingonberry jam+ peanut butter=love.

Grilled Sandwiches

Ryan had the best idea ever as far as I am concerned today. Why not make sandwiches on the grill he says. Makes sense and seems like a great idea. Yet I thought man sounds messy. In comes my best friend tinfoal and SHABAM! amazing grilled sandwiches.

I recommend some really good quality bread not some wonder white bread, but the thick atisan bread that makes everything yummy.

Like this:



Then you top that sandwich with every tasty thing you think should go on a sandwich, for a example this is what I had on mine tonight:

Onion, green and red pepper that I cooked down in olive oil
Pickles (moms homemade only!)
Miracle whip (not mayo there is a difference)
Stone ground mustard
Swiss and provolone cheese (one slice on each end of the bread)
Ham, turkey and salami

Then you wrap it in tinfoil like this:



Put on the grill for 4 minutes on each side. Start heat on high and then when you put the sandwiches on turn it to low.

Then it will look like this:



This really is not my actual sandwich, I ate it too fast to take a actual picture. I do have another one for lunch though. YUMMY.

Can Opener AMAZINGNESS

I know 99% of my posts lately are about nailpolish, I promised myself I would post something else today. Therefore, why not talk about something that has forever changed my life. Your thinking to yourself a can opener changed your life? Yes, yes it did. My friend Katie had a tupperware party at her house and because we all know can openers break every three weeks I was in the market for a new one. Bought the Tupperware one and I am in love!! Google it I swear it's amazing!

Luck of the non-Irish?

St.pattys nails. In love. How to.... Apply in this order; Sinful colors: base coat, loreal: safari chic,sinful colors: call you later, seche vite:top coat.

Sleep Lust and Music

As many people know I am a music junkie. Plus rarely can sleep. Therefore, my IPHONE and I are rather tight on a nightly basis.

I would say my lastest obsession is music that boardlines on rock/country/folk.

Some of the bands that mesh this way are Kings Of Leon, Hugo and The Civil Wars among many other amazing bands. I have included video clips below for example.

Love those sleepless nights. (yes bad movie quote I know)....

Hugo

The Civil Wars

Kings Of Leon

Silver Tips

Note to self, hottubs= really chipped nails.
Decided to try a new tape technique I saw on Chloes Nail blog. http://chloesnails.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-my-french-funky-french-and-other.html check this technique out at this link. She has such great ideas. She uses tape (scotch tape) to do french tips and fun patterns.
I tried this technique and LOVED it!!
See picture.

Glitter Nails

Do not really need to say anything other than love love. 

What you need for this look:
Sinfulcolors base coat
ULTA freshwater pearl (pink)
NYC starry silver glitter
SV (seche vite) topcoat

Paint your nails in that order and bam, sexy nails!
In case you need a visual, pictures attached. 

Polka Dots

Did some fun polka dots this week. Hint for amazing polka dots...shhhh don't tell, use a bobby pin end. Also using actual paintbrushes for touch ups helps.

Omg and I found the best top coat. Bought it at Ulta it is called Seche Vite and professionals use it. Best reviews out there. Picture attached.
Made my manicure last sooo much longer, days and days longer. Picture of nails attached is day three of wear.

Another nail hint to keep nails from chipping... Put a layer of topcoat (especially on the tips) every other day. 

Happy nail painting!!

Cuddle Cat and Tomato Sandwiches.

I was going to post about yummy tomato sandwiches and my sneaky cat decided to cuddle on my chest (more like my face). Therefore, this is posted from my phone not my computer. So, you need the following: One tomato, Nice bread, balsamic, cheese (white cheese is the best for this),seasoning, and butter. Butter your bread, add tomato slices and a splash of balsamic. Top with cheese and fry in a pan. Try to eat without a cat on your chest! Yum!