Pinteresting Around The House: Silverware Turned Jewelry Organizer.

I'm a believer in the idea that every new year should feel like a clean slate.

Granted, I tend to get a little clean-slate-happy regardless of what time of year it is. Perhaps it's every month. Or birthday. Or week. Or every third Wednesday of every other month. Or every Full Moon. Regardless, I love the feeling of starting anew (hence my avid obsession with rearranging the furniture; my poor husband never knows what to expect upon his arrival home after work).

Thusly, I have spent the last eight hours scouring our apartment; cleaning to the max, kids.

The reason you can know that this is on the border of excessive is that we live in a small one bedroom apartment. So, I was meticulous... to say the least.

I am, by no means, any sort of Mary Poppins, Martha Stewart, Betty Crocker, Sandra Lee, insert other females publicly recognized for their practical perfection in every other way. But, I do enjoy organizing.

Today's little project? A Pinterest find from long ago: Silverware Organizer turned Jewelry McAwesome Organizer.

This was super de-duper easy, quick, cheap, and cute. All you'll need is a couple screws, a screw gun, a hammer, and however many nails to accommodate your jewelry needs. I screwed the silverware bin directly into the wall and began hammering in the nails from there. Easy as pie and a great easy-access way to keep up with your bling.

Pinteresting Around The House

For those of you living on a budget, Pinterest is a great way to creatively spruce up your home. Here's what over been doing around the apartment lately thanks to my good ole Pin friend. 

1. Light switches are boring. Liven them up with a simple frame!

2. Sick of staring at bulky detergent and soap bottles? Fill up a few oil dispensers for a classy kitchen sink. I scored mine for a buck a piece at Joann Fabrics. Side note: You'll want to dilute your liquids for easy pouring.

3. Want your house to smell like fresh laundry all the time? Pour a handful of Downy Unstoppables into a tart warmer. My husband put this into action and it was magical. :) 

What are you pinteresting lately?

Autumn Approaching

I purchased a pumpkin spice coffee from Wawa (the most glorious place on Earth) this weekend and all was well with the world.

As soon as we hit the "-Ber" months, I turn into a complete and utter Autumn-aniac. Doting on my dreams of becoming a domestic goddess in a cinnamon scented home with bottomless cups of apple cider and fuzzy blankets and pumpkin fudge and burlap wreaths and sugary pecans and leaf-covered sidewalks and hay rides and corn mazes and candy corn and oversized sweaters and crisp air and wool socks and toasted marshmallows and....

Have I gone too far?

Well...

I'M IN LOVE, I'M IN LOVE AND I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT! (Name that movie!)

And the only prescription for Autumn fever is Pinterest (and more cowbell). Here are the to-do's for this fine season:

DIY Pumpkin Creamer

Halloween Trail Mix

Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Cinnamon Pecan Crunch

DIY Autumn Hurricane Vase

Leaf Garland

What's on your Fall bucket list? And who do I need to call about my pumpkin addiction? I've admitted the problem. I've completed step 1.

Our Apartment: Gallery Therapy

Saturday was a day off and thus a day for a little apartment updo action. Pinterest of course has had me swooning over all of the different ways to adorn your home in photos so I had to give this and this a go. 

This is how they looked on Pinterest:

And this is how they look in our little apartment!

I scored this shelf for just a few bucks at Salvation Army. Additionally, we have lots of pictures of ourselves because we apparently have no friends. This made a nice addition to our tiny hallway. 

Backstory on the above photos: Ever since Timothy and I started dating, I always give him a framed minimalist movie poster when any sort of holiday or birthday rolls around. It has become a bit of a tradition for us and now a nice way to personalize our space with a little gallery wall! If you don't know about the minimalist movie poster revolution, get in on this mess.

What pictures are you showcasing in your space?

Linking Up With:

The DIY Dreamer || Not Just A Housewife

Pinned It. Tried It: Milk Glass Rope Light Display

When I saw this pin a few months ago, I KNEW I had to give it a go. I had let the tops of our kitchen counters become a catch-all for leftover wedding decor. This was one of the easiest ways to classy up our little apartment kitchen. 

I watched this quick tutorial on creating your own "milk glass." Easy peasy! Grabbed our rope light and whaddya know?

   

Framed Fabric

In an effort to keep our apartment as Pinterest worthy as possible, I had to give a shot at one of my favorite finds: framed art. I'd been storing this huge picture of a snow lion that I found propped aside a dumpster upwards of a year ago.

Now, as much as I enjoy a good feline, ain't no way a snow lion is going to find itself on the walls of the Candace-Timothy abode. But, the frame was too good to pass up. The frame sat in our closet pointlessly until my lightbulb moment of framing an old shower curtain of ours in it.

Who knew that fancy frames were such a tizzy to disassemble? That mess took me forever. I have to say I love the homespun, loosely imperfect look of the final product. I think I'll look into scrapbook paper next. Voila!

Tiny Changes: Week 3 Operation Clean Car!

Last week was an arse-kickin' week that forced me to abandon my mini struggle for change. Regardless, I upheld the previous week's challenge of food prepping. Timothy and I have found an unprecedented success in our relationship: we haven't let ANY leftovers go to waste for two whole weeks!

This week is all prepped!

- Salad
- Mixed Berries (Cranberries, Strawberries, Blackberries, Blueberries)
- Roast Beef Sandwiches For Hubs
- Fold-Out Turkey and Swiss Sammiches for Me
- Steamed Shrimp For Hubs

WHAT? I know. We're kindof more amazing than Martha Stewart.

This week's tiny change is in tribute to my newly repaired car. My pride and joy, my sweet baby Honda Element suffered radiator damage from an after market fan mishap. 4,000 buckaroos later (she says while shaking her fist at the car gods), my car is all better and more like new than when I got her. So, I'm looking at this (stoopidly) expensive overhaul as a clean slate.

I'm a very clean person in all departments of life SANS the car. It's so simple to abandon that travel mug and leave this bag... and that bag... and that umbrella... and that piece of mail... and that napkin... and that pair of shoes... and before you know it, all of the objects in your house have found themselves conveniently tucked into every corner of your poor car.

So, today it stops!

And what better way to start than with a little Pinterest inspiration? The Car Emergency Kit. Most pinners suggest using an old baby wipe container. I ain't got no babies so I ain't got no wipe container. I grabbed a plastic tote from the Dollar Tree and kablam!

Because I have a plethora of free samples (it's an addiction, kids), I used what I already had on hand. I also scored 25 cent (for a THREE-PACK) air fresheners at Walgreens. I bought every single one they had left. My car will smell delightful for all of eternity now.

In My Car Kit

- Lint Rollers

- Facial Moisturizer

- Shampoo/ Conditioner

- Body Spray

- Razor

- Mouth Wash

- Instant Coffee

- Granola Bars (If you live somewhere warm, don't use CHOCOLATE bars like I did)

- Hand Lotion

- Chapstick

- Lady Products

- Flashlight

- Ink Pens

What I intend to add: 

- Q-Tips

- Mini Scissors

- Band-Aids

- Tweezers

- Deodorant

- Hair Brush

- Eye Drops

- Pain Killers

What's in your kit? Check out my inspiration right here! 

The No Drama Mama & The Good Life Blog

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken And Mini Peach Cobblers

This has been a week of Jersey Mike's lunches and "I feel guilty about that sandwich, let me undo it with a healthy night" dinners. And those healthy dinners have been awesome due in (large) part to my husband's brilliance in the kitchen. I do have to flip my hair over being the brains behind some of our meal ideas this week. But, Mr. Pappas gets execution props all day long and admittedly usually comes up with our nightly menus.

I cooked up two little Pinterest finds this week. Both were tasty, one more than the other.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
This recipe is what a lazy cook like me loves. Dump that mess in the crock pot and let. it. go. We served the chicken up on soft flour tortillas with chopped romaine, cheese, and light sour cream with a side of authentic yellow rice. Fresh, filling, delicious and lots of leftovers after a meal for two.

/ Ingredients / 
3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (We only used 2 since there are only two of us- it was packed with flavor because of this fact!)
1 Jar of Salsa
1 Pack of Taco Seasoning
Yes. Yes that's all you need.

/ Directions /
1. Layer half of the jar of salsa onto the bottom of the Crock Pot.
2. Place chicken breasts atop the layer of salsa.
3. Sprinkle the entire packet of taco seasoning evenly atop the chicken.
4. Layer the remainder of the salsa on top.
5. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 6-8 hours.
6. Shred the chicken with two forks and serve with your favorite ingredients!
(Adapted from My Imperfect Kitchen)

Mini Peach Cobblers
I made these for myself on my birthday because I wanted to be selfish and indulgent. They were quite tasty but I probably could have put more batter in my very large muffin tin, as well as baked it a little longer. I also thought 1 teaspoon of butter per muffin cup was a bit much. I'd suggest omitting the butter and using an olive oil spray for a lighter option.

They tasted lovely but looked like little nondescript, deflated pillows of mush. Experiment yourself let me know how it goes for you!

/ Ingredients / 
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Dash of salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
1 large can peaches, diced (I diced mine at home. You can usually find pre-diced peaches in the individual fruit cup section)

/ Directions /
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place 1 teaspoon of melted butter into each regular size muffin tin.
3. Stir together the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and add in milk.
4. Put 2 (or more!) tablespoons of batter into each muffin tin.
5. Add 1 tablespoon diced peaches on top of the batter.
6. Sprinkle with brown sugar and then cinnamon.
7. Bake for 12 minutes or until done.
8. Let cool completely before taking out of pan. Use a butter knife to loosen the edges and remove them from tin.
(Adapted from Alli N Sons)

Happy cooking! Happy eating!

Link-Up:
- A Glimpse Inside -