Saturday, April 27, 2019
Laundry Room Renovation
Well, hello there beautiful! You gorgeous and functional laundry room, you! I’m so in love with how this space turned out and I can’t believe we let it go this long before we took on this project. Granted, we’ve been saving to do these bigger projects and even though I would have loved to have this done a few years ago, I can deeply appreciate the time, patience, sweat and tears that went into it. Yes, tears, there were tears due to the washing machine leaking all over the floor and going into the wall and staining our living room ceiling. There were tears when our AC in the attic leaked into the laundry room ceiling and we came upstairs to go to bed only to find water running out of the light fixture. This room has been the cause of multiple headaches that pushed this supposed month long project into a year, but we have finally walked through the process and we’re on the other side and completely in love with the finished results!
This space was as cookie cutter as it could get. Linoleum floors, flat paint, wire shelf, weird drain location and irritating water pan. It was crazy basic. Our laundry room is on the upper level of our home which is why our builder installed a water pan underneath the washing machine. About a month of moving into our home five years ago, our hand-me-down top loading wash machine leaked and I didn’t know. The water was sitting in the pan underneath the machine, but some of it also went under the pan, leaked around the unsealed drain (amateur plumbing) and went into our living room ceiling. It was a nightmare for a new homeowner. We had a plumber, contractor and drywaller all here within hours. I was most upset about the water pan because 1) it wasn’t installed properly 2) the drain wasn’t installed properly 3) our warranty guy tried to blame us for the damage because technically they’re not required to put a water pan in, but they did it anyways to be nice, athough we never requested one. A total nightmare. So our goal was to get rid of the water pan as soon as possible. We could have taken it out completely from the get go, but because the drain wasn’t properly installed or sealed it was not a project we wanted to take on until we were ready to make a big change.
We moved the drain over to be centered between the two machines and tiled the floor with penny tile. We initially planned to put subway tile up the entire back wall, but opted not to after looking at our overall budget and other projects we wanted/needed to take on in the house. I”m actually really happy with the decision to shiplap the entire room. It adds texture and keeps it simple without being boring. We decided to build a box around the machines in order to create a folding space on top. This is by far the BEST decision! Before the tops of our machines were constantly cluttered and there was zero room to fold anything. Now I can fold as I pull the clothes out of the dryer and it eliminates clothing piles for the kids to step over, trip on and ultimately cause me to refold again.
We added an upper cabinet for storage. Finished the space off by adding crown and adding two open shelves for easy access to our laundry essentials. I love having my products on open shelves, but I also like them to look pretty. Using glass jars and baskets help keep everything organized and pleasing to the eye. I especially love having cute little accent pieces in this space like the framed flower print I found at an antique store in Southport.
At one point we debated painting the crown molding black for a nice contrast. I loved the idea, but after dealing with multiple water leaks in different ceilings we were ready to just be done with this space and kept it simple and white. We may paint them later, who knows! Laundry can be such a chore and I actually spent quite a bit of time in this room so I wanted it to be pretty and a place I enjoyed. I love the details we added into this room. Now if I can just be more diligent about putting all the laundry away!
Here’s the space before.
\\ Sources \\
Wall Paint \ Super White Benjamin Moore
Trim Paint \ Super White Benjamin Moore
Cabinet \ Lowes Home Improvement
Penny Tile \ Home Depot
Stain \ Minwax Early American
Shelf Brackets \ Amazon
\\ Decor Sources \\
Flower Species Print \ Vintage
Rope Basket \ Target (similar item)
White Enamel Caddy \ Hobby Lobby
Jars \ Target
Lantern \ Target (similar items)
Towels \ Pottery Barn & Target
This space was as cookie cutter as it could get. Linoleum floors, flat paint, wire shelf, weird drain location and irritating water pan. It was crazy basic. Our laundry room is on the upper level of our home which is why our builder installed a water pan underneath the washing machine. About a month of moving into our home five years ago, our hand-me-down top loading wash machine leaked and I didn’t know. The water was sitting in the pan underneath the machine, but some of it also went under the pan, leaked around the unsealed drain (amateur plumbing) and went into our living room ceiling. It was a nightmare for a new homeowner. We had a plumber, contractor and drywaller all here within hours. I was most upset about the water pan because 1) it wasn’t installed properly 2) the drain wasn’t installed properly 3) our warranty guy tried to blame us for the damage because technically they’re not required to put a water pan in, but they did it anyways to be nice, athough we never requested one. A total nightmare. So our goal was to get rid of the water pan as soon as possible. We could have taken it out completely from the get go, but because the drain wasn’t properly installed or sealed it was not a project we wanted to take on until we were ready to make a big change.
We moved the drain over to be centered between the two machines and tiled the floor with penny tile. We initially planned to put subway tile up the entire back wall, but opted not to after looking at our overall budget and other projects we wanted/needed to take on in the house. I”m actually really happy with the decision to shiplap the entire room. It adds texture and keeps it simple without being boring. We decided to build a box around the machines in order to create a folding space on top. This is by far the BEST decision! Before the tops of our machines were constantly cluttered and there was zero room to fold anything. Now I can fold as I pull the clothes out of the dryer and it eliminates clothing piles for the kids to step over, trip on and ultimately cause me to refold again.
We added an upper cabinet for storage. Finished the space off by adding crown and adding two open shelves for easy access to our laundry essentials. I love having my products on open shelves, but I also like them to look pretty. Using glass jars and baskets help keep everything organized and pleasing to the eye. I especially love having cute little accent pieces in this space like the framed flower print I found at an antique store in Southport.
At one point we debated painting the crown molding black for a nice contrast. I loved the idea, but after dealing with multiple water leaks in different ceilings we were ready to just be done with this space and kept it simple and white. We may paint them later, who knows! Laundry can be such a chore and I actually spent quite a bit of time in this room so I wanted it to be pretty and a place I enjoyed. I love the details we added into this room. Now if I can just be more diligent about putting all the laundry away!
Here’s the space before.
\\ Sources \\
Wall Paint \ Super White Benjamin Moore
Trim Paint \ Super White Benjamin Moore
Cabinet \ Lowes Home Improvement
Penny Tile \ Home Depot
Stain \ Minwax Early American
Shelf Brackets \ Amazon
\\ Decor Sources \\
Flower Species Print \ Vintage
Rope Basket \ Target (similar item)
White Enamel Caddy \ Hobby Lobby
Jars \ Target
Lantern \ Target (similar items)
Towels \ Pottery Barn & Target
Wednesday, March 6, 2019
Simple Cakes
Today I’m sharing two very simple cakes, one of which is my favorite chocolate cake. Both of these recipes came from my mom and beyond that, I’m not quite sure where she learned them. We’ve been making the chocolate ganache cake for as long as I can remember. The key to this cake is the coffee and ganache frosting. I’ve had many versions of this cake and they’ve missed the flavor mark and I truly believe it’s due to the coffee which brings out the cocoa.
The lemon citrus cake is a new recipe for me, however it’s been one my mom has had in her massive recipe book for years. I love the tangy citrus flavor and it can be even stronger by adding 4 drops of Lemon Vitality essential oil. I think this cake would be the perfect addition to a spring dinner, summer BBQ or even to celebrate Cinco de Mayo in just a couple short months!
Chocolate Ganache Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1/4 cup Dutch cocoa
1 cup strong coffee
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk* (see note)
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease the bottom of a jellyroll pan.
In a mixing bowl, mix together flour and sugar and set aside.
In a small saucepan melt butter. Add cocoa, coffee and vanilla into melted butter and mix well.
In a 2 cup measuring cup, measure out 1/2 cup buttermilk and add the baking soda to the buttermilk. Stir together and let sit for 5 minutes until it begins to foam. Then add 2 eggs into the buttermilk and whisk together.
Mix all wet ingredients into the flour and sugar mixture and mix well.
Pour into greased jelly roll pan and bake at 400 degrees F for 20 minutes or until center springs back.
Remove from oven and let cool before adding ganache.
Ganache
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
In a small saucepan bring whipping cream to almost a boil then remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Pour ganache over the cooled cake and spread evenly. The cake can then be placed in the refrigerator to set the ganache.
*NOTE: If you do not have buttermilk , mix 1-½ teaspoon white vinegar with enough milk to make ½ cup. Let stand 5 minutes and then add the baking soda.
Lemon Citrus Cake
1 pkg. lemon cake mix
1 pkg. lemon flavored gelatin (JELLO)-small pkg.
4 whole eggs
¾ cup water
¾ cup vegetable oil
Mix batter according to package directions using above ingredients.
Grease bottom of a jellyroll pan. Pour cake batter into pan and bake 350 degrees 25 minutes.
Drizzle with powdered sugar icing (recipe below) and sprinkle with lemon, lime and grapefruit rind.
OR pour into a greased bundt cake pan (use Crisco to grease pan then dust with flour. Bake according to bundt cake recipe on the cake box. Cool 15 minutes and turn upside down onto a cake plate. Dust with powdered sugar when cool.
Powdered Sugar Icing
3 cups powdered sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
Enough water to create desired consistency.
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
Welcoming the New Year
Welcome to 2019! We are happy to welcome the new year and not all that upset to say goodbye to 2018 because when we look back on it, it was a struggle of a year for us. Filled with stress, anxiety, challenges and hardships, but we made it through and we are so much stronger for it and for that we are grateful for this past year. We learned how to rely on each other, how to ask for help, hot to simplify, how to say no to more and how to prioritize. We aren’t fools, we know there was good that happened in 2018 too, like expecting a new baby, making our health a priority, building our Young Living business and focusing more on our relationships with Christ and with each other. We had a lot of good happen, but those tough times we experienced were so hard and we’re ready to move forward.
There’s a lot we want to accomplish this year and we’re not really setting them up as resolutions because those never seem to really hold up, but we know we want to be more intentional about certain things.
- With our fourth babe arriving soon we want to get back to planning our weekly date nights, whether that’s getting out of the house or staying in.
- We want to grow our Young Living business because it’s been life changing for us and we want that for everyone we know.
- Take on less projects and plan more for our family.
- Simplify our home by decluttering and organizing as much as we possibly can.
- Continue to improve our health as a family.
Mike and I have really enjoyed the tradition of choosing a word for the new year and I can’t remember what I chose last year because I let myself get so far off track focusing on it, but this year I chose two words: unapologetic + optimistic. I realize I often allow myself to feel guilty saying no to projects and people and I’m often left exhausted and frustrated. I’ve also been so drained and stressed this past year that I’ve become pretty pessimistic, even though I like to call it being a realist. It’s being a pessimist and I hate that so I’m choosing to change it. Mike’s word for the year is fuel. He often chooses a word that applies to several different faucets in his life. Fuel for his soul by growing deeper in his relationship with Christ, fuel for his body through healthy eating and exercise and fuel his mind by learning something new. He likes to be complex and deep!
I’d love to know what you do for the New Year, are you the resolution type? A one word type? Or just plan on eating more tacos?
Wednesday, December 12, 2018
A Very Grinchy Birthday
Finn grew a huge love for How the grinch Stole Christmas last year and ever since Halloween of this year he’s been asking to watch it non-stop. While his birthday was approaching he initially requested a Transformers themed party, but it all changed just a week or so into November when he changed his mind to a cartoon Grinch theme.
Finn is quite the traditionalist, much like our nephew Keegan. Finnley loves to keeps things classic especially when it comes to the Grinch. His favorite is the original and he will tolerate the Jim carey version, but he really isn’t too sure about the new one currently out in theatres. Maybe we’ll try and see it over Christmas break.
With it being December and the new movie in theatres I really thought finding Grinch themed things would be easy and I was totally wrong. I had hoped to find some sort of classic agrinch figurine to use as a cake topper, but no such luck! We did find a classic plush Grinch with Max we used for part of our decor and then stuck with classic red and green with pops of lime green and pattern.
It really couldn’t have been. More perfect for his December birthday with our Christmas tree in the corner and snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. Once everything came together it just made his little party and our seem so much more festive and magical. I’m actually having a hard time taking those precious snowflakes down, but I think we’ll move them to the playroom and keep them up all winter long.
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