Dresser Makeover

Well I finally finished the makeover of the dresser to match the nightstand I did several weeks ago and as promised here is my recap on the project. Let me start with a few facts. The first being that overall this project took me FOREVER, just because I didn't have a lot of time to commit to the project and we have had rain several weekends in a row which didn't allow me to work on it. This is because we do not have a garage and I have been doing the work on my open porch. Anyway I am more than thrilled to finally have finished and extremely happy with the outcome. 

The steps for this are the same as for the nightstand so I will just do a quick recap. Here is the starting point:

First I removed all the hardware from the drawers, wiped them clean and sanded them down. At this point I filled in any scratches and imperfections with wood filler, then sanded those areas down as well.

 

Next I applied two coats of primer and two coats of paint. I then repeated all of these steps for the dresser portion. Reattached the hardware and put it all back together. Here is the before and after:

Seriously does it not look fantastic, I couldnt have asked for it to look better. It also works great for the space and really brightens up the room. This was a big step in the overall makeover of our guest room. I will soon post about that as well now that it is coming along at a steady pace. 

So what do you think? Like the white?

21st Birthday Bouquet

My little sister is turning 21 in a couple of days and I wanted to make her a fun gift to celebrate. Several months back when I made the "broquet" she said she loved it and wanted one. This gave me the idea to do something similar but with a twist to make it specific to her milestone birthday. I'm sure you can guess that the way I did that was by using alcohol minis in the bouquet, well you would be right. I am very happy with how it turned out and she absolutely loved it!

 

Now the steps to make this were pretty much the same as the broquet other then a few minor things. First I actually spray painted that cup gold, I couldn't find anything at the store I wanted and needed something plastic since I was shipping this. Once the cup was dry I filled the bottom of it with Easter grass so that it would be easier to arrange the items. Next I had to add sticks to all my items so they could be used in the bouquet. As you can see below some are on wooden sticks (they are from the kitchen section used for kabobs) and some are on straws, that is simply because that is what I had lying around and I wanted some to be different heights. You can also see that I cut the wooden sticks to varying heights, This just helps in arranging so you have visibility of more items.

 

Next I arranged everything in the cup. I started with all the mini bottles to make sure they would fit. Then put in all the Reese's eggs, mostly in the front, next the suckers, and last the skittles packs which I put all in the back. Once the bouquet was complete I packed my box with bubble wrap at the bottom then a layer of pink Easter grass, just to make it fun and festive. I was determined to make this fun and girly, which is why I picked out only the purple and pink wrapped Reese's eggs and tried pink ribbons around the bigger bottles I added into the box. Below is how the box looked before I shipped it off, adding in some mini margarita and wine bottles as well as frozen drink pouches.

 

I love when I get the opportunity to get creative and make a gift for someone so this project was a lot of fun for me. What sort of gifts have you created?

 

-E

Healthy Turkey Chili

I may be a day late but as promised here is the recipe for my healthy turkey chili. I originally found a similar recipe and since the first time I made it its become a favorite. It makes a TON which is great for leftovers and its very healthy as it is fully of veggies.

What You'll Need:

• 1-1.25 lbs lean turkey meat
• 2 chopped carrots
• 2 chopped celery sticks
• 1 diced red bell pepper
• 1/2 diced green bell pepper
• 1 diced yellow onion
• 2-3 cloves diced garlic
• 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 28oz can petite diced tomatoes
• 16oz can black beans
• 16oz can kidney beans
• 1 can of water
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp oregano
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• salt and pepper to taste

* all of the spices should be adjusted to your taste, depending on how hot you like your chili, I recently made a batch with a little extra spice and it was too much for me

1. First brown your turkey meat in a pan with a little olive oil, once done set aside

2. Chop up all your veggies, keeping the onion separate

3. Sauté onion in some olive oil until translucent, then add it other veggies and garlic and continue sautéing for about 5 minutes

4. In your large pot combine turkey meat, veggies, cans of tomatoes and beans, a 16oz can of water and spices. Stir to combine, bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.

5. Top with a little shredded cheese and a dollop of Greek yogurt and enjoy!

I have come to love this recipe because it is simple, makes a large quantity and is healthy. I often make a big pot on Sundays and take it for lunch throughout the week. With this batch I froze half of it right away to have for future nights where cooking isn't an option so at least there will be a healthy option.