Master Bedroom Closet

by TheLocalHoney on January 25, 2012

I am in this mode of organizing, purging and with that goes a little redecorating. I had to share my latest “project”. First off let me just say that I am very lucky to have a giant master bedroom closet. It is mine all mine as we have a more average size one across from it that my hubby uses. When we first moved in, we made this space my craft space but with wee ones needing me so often, it barely got used. I also did not like that it did not have any natural light. That being said, I have since transitioned my craft space to another room and more often then not, I am at my kitchen island cause it just works as far as being central to the kids, hubby and dogs!

Originally we painted this space a pale pink cause in a house of boys, I wanted something more girly. Funny thing is, I am not really a pink kinda girl. So I spent the morning at Sherwin Williams looking at paint swatches. I am in love with the blueish green colors as of late. Subtle, relaxing and happy. I want this color in my space. I will also be incorporating this color into my upcoming master bedroom redo {yes, really .. I just can’t seem to stop the madness!!} I came home with a sample color {It’s called Kensington Green} which I be trying today. I plan to add brown baskets of various types and I will also be making a jewelry holder using an old frame and some funky radiator metal. Seriously, I am so excited about this project!! I have been feeling a little blah lately. Maybe this space will make me want to get pretty. Or I might need some new clothes to add to my new closet ;)

Here are some before pics, warning – It’s pretty scary in there!! I am usually pretty neat and organized but I have been over this space which caused me to give up on it a bit. Notice the framed Star Wars picture, old frames, etc. Lots of things get stuck in my closet when I am in limbo as to what I really want to do with them.

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I am actually quite embarrassed by this mess. Yikes!! Wish me luck! My plan is to have this space all done by Friday. Fingers crossed {and a lot of hard work}. I will of course be doing a reveal when it is all done icon smile Master Bedroom Closet I will also be having a glass bottle of wine. Do you have a space in your home that is screaming for some attention? I’d love to hear about it, I might even have a suggestion or two on how to tackle your space.

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Valentine’s Day Fun

by TheLocalHoney on January 23, 2012

Hello there, I am suffering from a ’9 year old party of 6 sleep over hangover’. Was that run on or what? What it means is that I am a little loopy and tired today. I did get a little cat nap in and now my boys — hubby included — are at the neighbors watching the Niner game. I don’t do sports so it was the perfect excuse to get a break. So here I sit, listening to the rain outside, enjoying a crackling fire and eating some clam chowder and crusty bread {thanks to my hubs for the store run}. Since I have Valentine’s on the mind, I thought I’d share some fun finds with you.

I love this cheery mantel over at Landee See Landee Do.

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I do love me some burlap and this ‘love’ pillow over on Etsy is just so fun! I might have to try this whole stencil on a pillow thing. It seems to be quite the trend.

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Another sweet Etsy find. I love burlap and pennants so how perfect!! The background is also quite perfectly romantic don’t you think?

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This cute little combo is popping up all over Pinterest. I sign everything with xo so I love it extra icon smile Valentines Day Fun

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So Craftalicious did a fun wreath using strips of fabric. I did something similiar for Christmas. It’s such a great way to use scraps of fabric.

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This fabulous idea came from Whipperberry. I love it so much that I already plan to do it for my boys classmates for Valentine’s Day gifts. I picked up the heart baking cups at Michaels {using a 40% off coupon of course!} and I found the stamper on-line. It’s such a sweet and crafty idea.

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This sweet little necklace that I saw on Pinterest is so simple yet sweet.

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Of course the options for Valentine’s Day crafts, decor and goodies is endless. I could sit and share all night but I will leave you with just a little bit of sweetness for now. I am still working on my Valentine’s Day mantel. I will be sharing that with all of you soon. Until then, Be Love.

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Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

by TheLocalHoney on January 19, 2012

Pinterest strikes once again. This time in the form of a lemon blueberry loaf that I HAD TO HAVE. So I did. It was a delish little treat that I would definitely make again. Between the yogurt in the cake and the tangy sweet lemony syrup that was poured on after, it was super moist. I loved the combo of the blueberries and lemon. Also, if you have a Nugget Market near you, blueberries are on sale this week. Yippee! I am always happy to cook on a dime {OK, more like $5.00 for a big thing of berries but you get the point}.

I found this recipe on Sweet Pea’s Kitchen via Pinterest but it looks like it was originally adapted by Ina Garten.

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Photo Source

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt  Loaf

For the Loaf:
  • 1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
    2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

 

  • 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup sugar
For the Lemon Glaze:
  • 1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Directions:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
  2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
  4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
  5. While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
  6. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.
  7. To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Yields: 1-9×5 loaf

 

 

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Shine

by TheLocalHoney on January 16, 2012

My previous post on the  New Year shared the idea of picking a word to focus on for 2012. I had heard this idea from a friend and also some savvy blogger peeps. Well The Lettered Cottage is hosting a linky party discussing just that — the word!! I have actually been thinking on this for a couple of weeks now and I think it is actually a pretty hard choice! There are so many words that I love and that I could truly apply to my everyday life but I finally settled on one. My word of the year is SHINE. I chose this word because I am trying to create a couple of at home businesses. One being my blog and the other is my crafting business. I love the idea of shine because it is exactly what I am hoping to do this year both personally and professionally.

 shine ii1 225x300 Shine“This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.”

Do you have a word that you can apply to your goals this year? I’d love to hear it.

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Organizing Your Spaces

by TheLocalHoney on January 13, 2012

With a New Year comes a couple of things. Purging {oh it feels soooo good!!} and trying to organize the leftover chaos of the past holiday season. I have successfully purged about two carloads of ‘stuff’. I get a little to excited about that kind of thing. Organizing makes me happy. So does redecorating but I am all about doing this on a dime. I am in the middle of a bedroom redo for my almost 9 year old. I say this as my hubby is watching video of our home being built back in 2004. Seeing my big boy as a baby? Sigh. Where did that time go?? Any-who .. that is a whole other post icon wink Organizing Your Spaces

Here are a few of my favorite storage ideas and spaces of late.

I wish I had a space for a table with built in benches that allowed for storage. What a great idea! Plus you feel like you are at a restaurant even though you aren’t.

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This closet is organized perfectly. I love the use of canvas bins.

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I recently copied this idea for all of my cupcake holders. It is a cute and easy storage idea.

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What a great way to save space and organize your wrapping paper.

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I love this idea for under the kitchen sink. Especially the hanging bottles of cleaning solvents.

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 I have complete closet envy over this one. It makes me think that I might need to rethink my last purge cause my closet still runneth over. Plus I now feel the need for pretty new bath linens. These are so fresh and bright. Mine have been around for some time and don’t have the brightness that these do.

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Oh wow — do people really organize their freezers this way? It’s amazing and oh so inspiring.

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Baskets are one of my favorite ways to organize. It keeps things in one place and also a little hidden ;)

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How about this pretty lil’ garage? OK – maybe a dude would not like the green and white checkered peg boards but the organization of it all? Pretty great.

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House of Smiths is one of my most favorite blogs and I love this idea. As a matter of fact, I am working on my own version for my house.

Organizational Magnet board thehouseofsmiths com 200x300 Organizing Your SpacesSource

Here is a lovely organized laundry room.

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The resources for inspiration are never ending. I think the key is to remember that less is more. At least once a year, go through your home and get rid of what you do not need. Can you donate it? Have a swap with a friend or group of friends? Recycle? Try and be resourceful. Also try to follow a rule when you make a purchase — do you love it? Will it be in your home for a long time to come? We have landfills filled with things that are tossed out. If you think a purchase through instead of being impulsive, you are more likely to own the item for many years to come.

How do you stay organized?

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2012 – Hopes, Dreams and Goals

January 9, 2012

OK — maybe my title for this post is a little excessive. I always have hopes, dreams and goals but sometimes a fresh new year coming on the coattails of a very busy holiday season makes us reflect and think about what we’d like a fresh new year to bring. I am trying to keep [...]

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Stuffed Shells with Sausage and Spinach

January 9, 2012

Oh thank you Pinterest for all of the yummy recipe ideas. I planned my last weeks worth of meals based on what I have pinned on my Foodie Love board. The most recent was these yummy stuffed shells. I added a big scoop of minced garlic and pesto and left out the ricotta due to [...]

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Sweet Baby Boy

January 3, 2012

I just came across this sweet poem. My boys are now 6 and almost 9 which I know is still little but they have grown so fast! My brother and his wife are also expecting a baby boy in March. I just shared this poem with her because I think it is true – and tissue [...]

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Peanut Butter Toffee Bark

December 19, 2011

OK — I have to say that the said ‘secret ingredient’ in this is a tad weird but I assure you, I tested and tried this recipe and it is so yummy!! See if people can guess what that ingredient might be. My youngest guessed cause he said he saw the bottom. Intrigued?? Read on [...]

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Christmas Crafting and Gift Giving Ideas

December 16, 2011

Tis the season ~ and my how fast it is going! Insert sigh. I get so sad at how fast this time of year is. How about you? Are you all about the season or ready to see the craziness end? I never seem to do all that I want to do. Thanks to Pinterest I [...]

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