Pallet coat/shoe shelf

Our back entry is the door we mostly use to come in and out of I don’t think we even have a key for the front door! This entry way is a very small narrow hallway so anything on the floor for shoes was a tripping hazard. I needed a new solution for shoes and coats. We have all seen the pallet shelf wine racks etc… well this is my version and the perfect solution for hanging coats and for all the shoes that would otherwise be on the floor!

Before


After



To get the old barn wood color I first tried a solution some may have seen soaking steel wool in vinegar that did not work, so I then watered down a little black paint and brushed it on then let it dry then sanded.

I love the transformation!




#pallet shelf #pallet coat rack #pallet shoe rack

Remington's Birthday

I am a little late to wish Remington a happy birthday on the blog but here at home we did celebrate it! It has been a busy week here with projects so I wanted to do do a post on Remington's dump truck cake before I share the other projects with you. I love this cake it turned out cute and was really quite simple to do.





my inspiration for this cake came from Kat at Petticoats & Peplums http://www.flickr.com/photos/61625139@N03/9105378884

I am not sure what she used for her candy But I used Whoopers and left some whole and cut some in pieces. for the frosting I used a cream cheese frosting and mixed cocoa mix in with it to give a bit of a dirt color then sprinkled cocoa mix over the whole thing to give it texture, Other than placing the truck on top and making the rocks cascade out that is pretty much it!

Happy Birthday Remington!

Happy Birthday Winston

Today my sweet baby turned 3 he made it very clear that he wanted an Elmo birthday cake so I had to get creative and try to figure out how to make an Elmo cake. We had a simple little party for him with a few friends and ate his favorite meal of Spaghetti and Elmo cake and ice cream!
The cake was really quite simple the hardest part getting the frosting red! 2 1/2 tubes of food coloring later and a little brown mixed in we got something close to red! I used two jumbo marshmallows for the eyes and nose. I cut them in half and used a half of a marshmallow for each eye and the nose. I dyed the nose with orange cool aide. A litle bit of pre mixed black frosting for the center of they eyes and mouth. There is a thick layer of frosting then touched with my fingertip to make it peak to give the frosting some texture really pretty simple! I have another cake to make in ten days as my other boy will be turning five!

Sugar cookies

Remember this project?


The sugar cookies! My sister in law said she did not mind if I share the recipe so here I am finally getting around to sharing it! The best sugar cookies! These sugar cookies are so good and stay soft like those ones you get at the store bakery only better!

Sugar cookies
1 ½ C Butter (softened)
2 C Sugar
4 Eggs (beaten)
6 C Flour
1 tsp Baking soda
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Baking powder
1 C sour cream

Cream butter and sugar, add eggs and vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and add to wet. Add sour cream. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Roll out ¼ inch thick, cut into shapes, Bake at 375 for 8 minutes.

Let cool decorate and enjoy! I like them with a butter cream frosting. I found one on google not sure what it was now there is many good ones to be found!

A Vent and a Tip

I am unfit to be a mother is how I am feeling today. My back is giving fits so I am feeling so much pain that I can hardly stand it and can barely walk. Do they care though? Not in the least bit. I know though this is because they do not understand and are used to mommy being able to lift them up, get them their drinks, food, etc, and all the things they need to care for them, but still I take the pain out on them so unfair. I find myself yelling at them when they are just wanting the normal demands that a child needs. My oldest is very sweet and will pat me or give me a little kiss or say “sorry Mama”, but as soon as he wants something seems to forget. At the moment though I am trying to get them to sleep. I thought I would try to be kind and motherly and lie down by them for a bit but I found that each movement just irritated me more as it jarred my back and each word spoken just made me want to snap be quiet threw gritted teeth as they were refusing to go to sleep so thought it best to just leave it be and try to ignore the noise while I just sit out here and try to let out some frustrations and try to get some relief by putting ice on my back again with a handy comfort Pad . Hope this feels better soon and we can all get some much needed rest and feel better.



On a lighter note it may be a good time to share this little cleaning tip with you. I have been using vinegar to clean with for a long time. I like to use for everyday cleaning such as wiping down counters and the table as I don’t like the thought of all the chemicals being used every day on them or the little ones spraying it since they like to help with the chore of cleaning the table. We all know that vinegar is not really the best smell though well, I saw this on Pinterest and just modified it a bit by using full strength vinegar and not diluting it with water. So you put some orange peels or lemons, Peels of whatever citrus fruits you may like in a quart jar then fill with vinegar and let it sit for two weeks it is then ready to use. I put it in spray bottle and use as I would any cleaner. I have so far only done this with orange would like to try adding in some lemon. This smells much better than vinegar plain and is safe for the kids to use to help with cleaning!



I suppose soon it will be time to let get up again they have been lying down for a couple of hours now refusing to sleep. I guess it will be early to bed tonight!