cardboard container up-do

So I'm deep into another project and no I have not finished the Cedar Chest Makeover project thank you for asking.

It's a sewing cabinet up-cycle project thing that I'll blog about later (when if I finish it).  Part of this sewing up -cycle thingy-ma-jiggy requires lot's of storage.  So I have been collecting marked down (waaaaaay down) baskets galore and re-using old storage containers and scouring the thrift store (i.e. D.I.) to find suitable (cheap) storage solutions.

Enter Exhibit A

Frontier Chic Table

Okay, so yesterday I was going to whip out a peg board.

Have pegs, have board aaaaaaaaaaand thanks to my mad skillz, I now have a new project...

Stinging Nettle Discover-ment

I have been holding my own controlled experiment. Another "discover-ment" of sorts.

So the other day my hubby read something online about Nettle. Otherwise known as Stinging Nettle. You know the kind that you get stung by whilst retrieving the birdie from the brush when playing badminton at your uncle's house as a kid? Yeah, that kind.

New Beginnings--Garden Planning Time

In my Church's Young Women program they have something called New Beginnings.  The Leaders have a special program for those new "Beehives" to welcome them in and help them feel loved and valued.

The Theme for this years New Beginnings Meeting is a Garden Party.  How appropriate.  Spring and therefore gardens signal new beginnings.

This is a perfect time to start planning the garden.  Here in Swan Valley, the growing season is very short.  Most, who are serious about gardening here have a green house.  That is on the docket for us, but even with a green house, starting some plants indoors is the way to go.

Wheat Grinder Life Hack

Taking a break from the Cedar Chest Makeover because, well, I have to.  I don't have the hardware to press on so I'm baking bread today.

Because I'm a good 30 minutes--in good driving conditions--away from a grocery store and 45 minutes away from a decently priced grocery store, I decided to make bread.  Not a foreign thing for me to do, I mean, I've posted it on here how many times?  But this time I am grinding my own wheat.  Have wheat, don't have whole wheat (WW) flour.  Have white, not WW.  Also what I don't have is a room that I want covered in a fine dusting of flour.

So I had an idea.  I don't know if this qualifies as a "life hack", but it sure made my life easier.

I put a XL Space Bag over my grinder and let it roar.  I left the zip lock open partially because it needs air to work, but it worked like a charm.  A clean-kitchen-after-grinding-wheat charm.

Now you must know that I LOVE my wheat grinder and it is quiet for a grinder and it is clean for a grinder, but it still spews some fine flour dust in a two feet radius and today I just didn't want to deal with it.  My creative side of my brain has been working on ideas how to create a "space" where I can grind and not leave a Mt. St. Helen's kinda mess* because my lazy side of my brain didn't want to deal with the mess anymore...


Voila!

Hope Chest Makeover-Chapter 3.5

I took to the paint in an effort to not spend any more money on this cedar chest makeover.

Really I haven't spent any money but the original $40 it cost (5 years ago) and the cost of the stain. I'm going to have to cough up some cash for drawer pulls and new spindly legs, but that is where I want the spending to end.

 Put ME in charge of the deficit! ha!

Hope Chest Makeover-Chapter 3 Stenciling

The idea is to take this old once upon a blonde bombshell and make her a curvy brunette that echoes the look of my Antique Cupboard.

Hope Chest Makeover-Chapter 2

I got a really good arm workout yesterday. I sanded this old blonde girl making her ready for her new color.

I totally got a good workout and honestly had a Mr. Miagi moment. Actually, that would have been a Danielson moment, because I (!) did all that sanding.

By hand.

Here's what I've done so far...

Hope Chest Makeover-Chapter 1--Drawer

It's Saturday and I am just starting the Lane Hope Chest Makeover.

It's been several days years of thinking about, researching, thinking, wondering and more thinking about this makeover.

Originally I was going to paint it, but the more I thought about it, I liked the idea of staining it dark instead.

It's time.

I'm ready.

First. Clean the inside of the drawer.

How nasty is this?  I'm pretty sure this was stored in a barn or some sort of out building because there were mice here and some sort of straw like material.

Probably straw.

So after a non-successful search in the world wide web

Brian's cookies--homemade chocolate chip cookies

The term "chocolate chip" cookie doesn't quite do this cookie justice.

They're more like "everything but the kitchen sink" cookies.

But that's just the way we like 'em!

Now if you're the kind of person who likes to throw everything into a mixer then this is not the cookie for you. But if you're the kind of person who loves a delicious cookie then you'll need to get your hands dirty.

 But BONUS you can lick them. But don't tell the kids.  I won't let them "because of the eggs..."

I didn't believe the hubby when he said you need to mix the dough with your hands and I tried a batch in my mixer a while back. I don't know the science behind it, but they did not turn out. "SO Yeah", I mix them "by hand" now.

If you're "jones'n" for a "kitchen sink" kinda cookie, then roll up your sleeves.

Brian's Cookies

2 1/4 Cups (all purpose) flour
2 Sticks (1 cup) butter (softened)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup Brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 bag (11.5 oz bag) butterscotch chips
1/2 bag (11.5 oz bag) chocolate chips (semi-sweet)
2 cups oatmeal