The Laundry Closet

When the hubs and I lived in our humble little apartment on the Paseo, we had a Euro washer/dryer combo in our kitchen. I think we maybe used it once or twice. You could wash a couple of shirts or two towels at a time because it was so tiny. The complex had a normal size washer and dryer in the garage that we paid to use but we also went to a laundromat when we had several loads to do. Needless to say when we moved to our home we were overjoyed with the thought of having our very own washer and dryer! Even better...the previous owner left her washer and dryer behind so we did not even have to purchase them...they were all ours...and the laundry closet is right outside of our bedroom...talk about awesome! 

Here is what the laundry closet looked like when we moved in...

And quickly it started to look like this...

We don't have an linen closet so the laundry closet is pretty much our storage hub...towels, linens, cleaning supplies, iron/ironing board, extra toiletries/tp/paper towels.

It was functional but it was a mess so I took everything out and started organizing.

Back to where we started when we moved in. 

The first step was painting the shelves because the wood 

color was just not working for me.

Much better, right? I think it looks so clean and crisp.

Next, I went to Target to get some organizing bins. I made a list of everything that needed to be stored in the closet so when I went to Target I would know how many and what size bins I needed. 

I get really excited about organization and storage so I spent a few hours browsing Target to evaluate all my options.

And of course the bins needed labels...

Not only do I love the organization, but I love all the color too! 

Perhaps I am odd, but I get excited to open the closet door and see all those bins!

And now for a little before and after comparison...

Last weekend we went my grandparents farm in Southern Missouri. 

I don't know what it is about going to their farm but I just love going there. 

It is so peaceful and I just think it represents the essence of a simple life.

 

Grandma and I in front of her garden.

And speaking of garden...look what I found when I got home...

Yep, that is correct, my first zucchini from my garden.   

To say I was excited would be an understatement.

Thankful

A couple of months ago the hubs and I made a bulletin  board to hang in our room. 

It is a place where we can leave notes for each other...things we are thankful for or that we appreciate about each other. I enjoy looking at it everyday not only because of the notes but because we made it together.

To make it, I stopped by a thrift store and bought a picture frame for $5. I thought about just using a bulletin board like this one from Target and then decorating it...

But I couldn't really find one as big as I wanted for a reasonable price. 

So plan B was to find a cheap picture frame and cover the back with cork.

 So once I had secured the frame, I went to JoAnn's and got fabric ($12) and cork ($10) and everything else I had on hand (primer, paint, and spray glue). 

In total it was less than $30 for a custom 2 feet by 4 feet bulletin board!

Here is a before pic with all the supplies...

First step in the process was putting the hubs to work on painting the frame. First, we used a spray primer then the leftover paint from the buffet that I previously painted.

Next, I laid the back of the frame out on the counter and used the spray glue to attach the cork.

Then, I had the hubs iron the fabric (here is a secret about me...I don't iron...I never have and probably never will. Thank goodness the hubs is so willing to iron!).

Once the cork was secure and the fabric was wrinkle free, we just wrapped it around the cork and secured it with hot glue (i forgot to take a pic of this step). It was quick and easy. 

Then we made a little "thankful" pennant and covered a couple of thumb tacks with fabric and then voila'...

What a great reminder to be thankful daily!

Happy Crafting!

Baked Mozzarella Sticks

Surprise... I was on Pinterest again! 

This time, I saw a pic for baked mozzarella sticks so I had to give them a try!

Here is the site that I used...

http://everycollegegirl.com/how-to-cook-healthy-mozzarella-sticks/

They were pretty easy...freeze the cheesesticks, then dip in flour, then in an egg, then in the breadcrumbs. I used Panko breadcrumbs but if I make them again I think I would mix panko with the Italian breadcrumbs to add a little more flavor and better cover the cheesestick. 

Once they were all dipped, just place them on a baking sheet and bake for 4 minutes at 400 degrees.

Here they are all ready to eat...

The hubs gave them a 5/10 and I would agree. 

 Next time I am going to switch up the breadcrumbs and see if that does the trick.

Garden Update

Things are lookin' good in the garden!

Peanut Butter and Banana French Toast

I saw this pic on Pinterest last night and I just had to try it! 

 

 http://www.therauberhouse.com/category/breakfastbrunch/

It was delish!

And, I tried to make it as healthy as possible...with 45 calorie whole wheat bread, PB2 peanut butter powder, and skim milk...grand total, it came in around 415 calories.

Well worth it I say! 

Yum, yum, yum!

 

Mary Mary Quite Contrary...

How Does Your Garden Grow?

Well, we shall see! I enlisted the help of my very willing sister and planted a garden in our backyard. I have no idea if it will produce anything but I am keeping my fingers crossed! 

I went for a raised bed garden since our soil is pretty much clay around here but nonetheless, what I thought would be a pretty quick project turned in to more work then I expected. 

Here is the before...

A few pics of the process...

We used 7 - 4 foot long 2x4 pressure treated boards to make the frame. I stained only the outside (so the part that you see matches the deck and fence) then used 2 "L" brackets in each of the corners to build the frame.

Once the frame was together, we laid it over the section of the yard that we manually tilled (that was the worst part because of all the clay). Then we filled it in with equal parts of top soil, mushroom compost, and manure (nice right??). Once we spread out all of the soil, I laid out the vegetables paying close attention to their individual need for space. 

I planted corn, zucchini, squash, eggplant, and peppers.

Once I knew where they were going to go, I got to planting...

Now lets just see if they actually grow!

*A very big thank you to Emily who is always 

willing to help out when I have a project to do!*

Chicago

Emily and I took a roadtrip to Chicago! 

We had a lot of fun eating, shopping, and exploring. 

Here are some of the highlights from our trip...

*I got some pretty great stuff at Ikea...I will share soon!*