Spicing things up

Yesterday I took a trip with my mom to Home Goods. Oh boy, that store is so good yet so bad at the same time. I found myself editing things from my cart since we're on a tight budget... especially now that our refrigerator decided to break on us!

What didn't make the cut was something that would be of great utility in my kitchen. I'm not one for mere decorations in the kitchen, (especially) since its a small space and everything in there needs to have a function. This seed holder would serve as a great use for our spices, so I'm thinking.

It will also give me an opportunity to display these Anthropologie jars I bought a long time ago and never knew what to do with! I'm just missing #2 and #7 :(  I'm sure they'll turn up when I do the major spring cleaning I'm 'planning'. With a toddler and infant its a wonder I even get to write on my blog! 

Wire Basket

A shabby chic find... On my Michael's hunt I scored this wire basket for only 8 bucks! Check it out people, I'm very proud of it. Love the little detail with the number, since anything marked with numbers screams vintage and is instantaneously cool. It also has a touch of industrial to it, which I like.

A new home for our oranges.

Cocoa Please!

Today I was going to go through our spring things and put away the transitional winter stuff. You know, the odds and ends and remnants of warmth (such as cozy blankets and winter gear). However, my plans were thwarted when I looked out our window and saw this!

Winter Wonderland

I was not dismayed one bit, but decided to put my plans on hold. I would feel as though I were cheating on winter if I de-hibernated all of the spring decor! So instead, I'm baking pretzels and firing up hot cocoa for my family. With husband home, he has time to watch the little ones while I have fun in the kitchen! 

By the way, I realize this is my THIRD post that includes pretzels, but it always seems to snow when I blog.. and I always seem to bake these when it snows. 

Yummmmmmm....

Anyway, when my two snow angels came back inside (huz and daughter), I greeted them with hot cocoa and pretzel sticks. HERE is my fab-ulos-o recipe for cocoa, keeping it healthy while keeping it good!!

HOT COCOA

2 1/2 - 3 cups almond or coconut milk (I used both since I ran out of one)

3 heaping TBSP. unsweetened cocoa

One 'pour' of pure maple syrup (unfortunately, I didn't measure this, but sweeten to taste)

Put contents into blender. I fired up our Vitamix and it created a 'froth' along the top. Once everything was mixed, I poured it into a pot and let it simmer on very low until it was hot. Probably 10 - 15 minutes, depending on your stove. 

I topped theirs with yummy mini-marshmallows and they drank it up! A lovely accompaniment to the snow, don't cha think? 

Knick knacks

I don't do nearly as much as I want to do in a day. Granted, I'm taking care of two little ones and the chores are extremely endless, as any stay-at-home mama knows, but I'm referring more to things I want to do. Don't get me wrong, potty training, cooking, nursing, changing diapers, cleaning after my little girl over and over again are really quite 'fun', but I'm talking about the odd little projects I'd like to sit down and do. 

For instance, I enjoy browsing Pottery Barn or country stores for inspiration and then taking a trip to the nearest thrift shop or antique store to see what I can salvage from those ideas. Seriously, the possibilities are endless. On my last antique hunt, I picked up vintage stamps. Mind you, I'm not at all a 'stamp' gal, but these were made of wood and I had seen something similar in a PB catalogue. So, I went for it and picked them up. I purchased the most random letters and could barely spell anything, but managed 'love'. Hey, whatever works.

As I type, those letter stamps sit in a glass jar on my self-made mantel (ie, shelf!) above the t.v. Both my kiddos are in dreamland and I'm typing about the day I can finally have some time to actually do projects again.

Chalkboard Bliss

I've certainly been getting a lot of mileage out of our little can of chalkboard paint. I reach for it when I don't have any projects I can really sink my teeth into (mind you, I still have a bathroom that seriously beckons to be painted), it's my go-to project-in-a-can! 

Current wall (above)... you can also see our bathroom much in need of a paint job!

Last week I decided that our kitchen needed another chalkboard because one just isn't enough. I've spent way too much time on Pinterest and seeing far too much inspiration on chalkboard walls. Even though my husband thinks I'm nuts, I really enjoy how the finished product came out. 

New chalkboard

I even have chalkboard on my cups!

You see, I not only painted a wall, but gave new life to a space that I've constantly been revamping ever since we moved in. My plan is to extend our kitchen counters (or lack thereof) and place a butcher block beneath our new 'wall of fame'. As for painting itself, I opted out of precise lines (mainly because I was too lazy to tape it), but also because I was inspired from a picture I recently saw from Country Living mag. Lines were haphazard and it looked spectacular and random.  

As for the EAT sign, my husband nearly freaked when he saw it was hanging on by a few thumb tacks... I have been known to do crazy things like that. However, these are made out of cardboard, which are made to look like Anthropologie zinc letters. I will blog about that project soon.