Friday, August 31, 2012

. . . Oil Rubbed Bronze Bathroom Update . . .


I love going to the thrift stores but I am probably in it for all the wrong reasons.  Many people like going to save money but I admit that I go because I am dying to "remake" something (saving money is always a nice bonus).  It is so rewarding for me to take something that looks pretty ugly or old and outdated and remake it into something fun and beautiful. 

I also have to be the world's worst thrifter because this whole update to my guest bathroom began when I REPURCHASED a tissue box cover that I had just donated to Goodwill a few weeks ago.  Um, not really sure that is what thrifting is all about.


 I decided to update my guest bathroom accessories with Oil Rubbed Bronze instead of the not so pretty plastic items I had in there so I donated all the accessories I had and off I went to the store to buy new ones.  I didn't really count on spending a fortune for a few accessories but that is exactly what happened when I went to purchase my new items.  $17 for a tissue box cover just seemed a little nutty to me when I had a great can of Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint sitting in my garage just waiting to be used.  I was kicking myself for not having this brainstorm before donating all my bathroom accessories! 

I went to Goodwill for an entirely different reason (to feed my Pyrex obsession) and what was sitting on the shelf but my tissue box cover!  It was only $.69 so I figured re-buying it wasn't that big of a deal even if it does make me a terrible thrifter.  I then went to the dollar store and bought a ceramic soap dispenser that would be perfect for painting and went home and started spraying with my Oil Rubbed Bronze paint.  I also picked up a great mirror for the counter while I was at Goodwill.  It was only $2.00 and was in perfect shape but the wrong finish so again perfect for my Oil Rubbed Bronze can of paint.  I already had these cute glass canisters in the bathroom with silver lids on them so again grabbed the lids and shot them down with Oil Rubbed Bronze paint.  All in all I had LESS than $10.00 in this whole update.  Not bad folks! 

Do you remember when I was painting everything with this paint last year?  I redid all of my light fixtures in the bathrooms, register covers and switch plate covers.  They are still holding up like the day I did them!!  I'm impressed by that especially in the bathrooms because of the water and steam but they are like new.  Here is a photo below:


Now, on to the current projects:
Grab your bathroom accessories you want to paint and give them a good coat of Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint.  In my case this inexpensive tissue box cover and other accessories used up one can of paint and a little bit of an old can I had in the garage.

The Dollar Store soap dispensers I purchased--I decided to do one of my master bathroom too.
I placed these on top of a piece of foam core board and punched holes for the soap dispensers so I could get those painted a well.  I didn't want them to be white while the soap holder has a pretty bronze finish.

This was the mirror I picked up for $2.00 at Goodwill.  It is a normal mirror on one side and a 20X Magnification Mirror on the other side.  I taped the mirror off (a pain in the butt but must be done) and then gave it a good coat of paint.
The lids you see in the bottom left are from two glass canisters I already have that hold q-tips and cotton balls so to match everything they got a coat of paint too.

I was very ambitious and hand stamped the walls in my guest bathroom years ago and decided to use the same stamps to add a little "something" extra to the tissue holder and the soap dispenser.  I just used some black craft paint and stamped the swirl design on the dispenser and the tissue holder and it turned out great.  It's very subtle but I love it!

 I love how the mirror and the canisters look now.  The Oil Rubbed Bronze richens everything up.  For just a few bucks and a little work it made a big improvement!

Tissue Box Cover

Soap Dispenser

Canisters for cotton balls and q-tips

Mirror...Mirror...

Easy and Inexpensive Update

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

. . . Cookie Time Tuesday-- Peanut Butter Secrets . . .

I'm excited to welcome another great guest blogger today...Christy from The Girl Who Ate Everything (I love that blog name).  She is sharing a recipe today that causes my heart to pitter patter!  You are going to love this one too.  I hope you will take the time to stop by and say hi to her over on her blog when you have a chance.  She has amazing recipes for you to check out. 

 • • •
"Hey guys! I'm Christy from The Girl Who Ate Everything and I love, love, love to eat! Peanut butter and chocolate have always been a favorite of mine. I've been guilty of eating spoonfuls of peanut butter with chocolate chips sprinkled on top a time or two. These cookies are a more elegant way of getting your chocolate and peanut butter fix. And if you don't get your fix from these babies, there is no helping you!"

 
You are going to need a whole lot of mini peanut butter cups for these. I went with the one for me, one for the cookies approach.
 
 
Just wrap a little peanut butter cookie dough around each one.
And, as if we didn't already have enough peanut butter and chocolate, you dip the cookies in melted peanut butter and chocolate. Amen!


• • •

 
Peanut Butter Secrets
Source: Pillsbury

Ingredients:
Cookie:
1 cup butter flavored shortening
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
40 to 45 chocolate-covered miniature peanut butter cups

 Glaze:
1 teaspoon butter flavored shortening
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat baking sheets lightly with no-stick cooking spray. Combine shortening, brown sugar, granulated sugar and peanut butter in bowl of electric mixer; beat at medium speed until well blended. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Mix into shortening mixture at low speed until just blended. Form rounded teaspoonfuls of dough around each peanut butter cup. Enclose entirely. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheet. Bake cookies for 7-9 minutes, or until cookies are just slightly browned. Remove immediately to cooling rack. Do not over bake!

Combine shortening, chocolate chips and peanut butter in microwave-safe measuring cup. Microwave on 1 minute. Stir. Repeat until smooth. Dip cookie tops in chocolate. Let stand until chocolate is set.

ENJOY! 
 

Monday, August 27, 2012

. . . Southwest Themed Gift Basket with World Market . . .


I got the chance to do some shopping over the weekend at Cost Plus WorldMarket.  I love going in that store but never can leave without spending way too much money.  There are a million things that I want every single time!  This time was no different...

I was there to put a great gift basket together and went with a Southwestern Dinner Theme.  It was so much fun picking and choosing from their great assortment of gourmet foods, gifts, packaging ideas etc.  It was hard to keep my eye on the prize when I kept getting distracted by beautiful pieces of furniture, pretty rugs, great jewelry, fun toys, wonderful kitchen items and don't get me started on the treasures in the clearance aisles.  Oh what fun...
 I wanted to put together a basket using World Market's food and kitchen section because I had a recipe to attach to the basket to make it a bit more personal.  I grabbed a fun metal tray to start and then added in everything to make my Creamy Southwest Chicken Pasta.  There are a few bonus things in the gift basket for some added fun--chalkboard napkin rings, a Mexican Pumpkin candle, Pretty utensils, Beer, Chocolate Bars with a kick and pretty napkins that also served to line the tray.  Who wouldn't love getting this gift?  The best part is that everything I needed from the gift basket to the cello bag to the ribbon was all in one spot at World Market!

Southwestern Themed Gift Basket

I really "mustache" you a question...
Do you LOVE World Market as much as I do?
• • •
Let's go shopping!
Check out all these gift making supplies!  I was in heaven with all this great packaging. 

Beautiful Rugs! 
I can't tell you how much I need that gorgeous gray and white chest of drawers.  I wish I had an open spot to put it...let me do some thinking on that.
Pillows Galore and lots of great candles!

Don't forget to enter the Gourmet Getaway from World Market.  This sounds like one amazing trip!
I may or may not have munched on these Peanut Butter Chocolate Wafers while I shopped (yummy!)
Great gourmet foods

Love all of this great gift wrap and packaging supplies!

My mom and grandma were in on the shopping action too. 

I loaded up my purchases and it was time for me to make this fun gift basket!
Look at all those great goodies--pasta, serving ware, candle, salsa, taco seasoning, cloth napkins, pasta spoon, beer, chalkboard napkin rings, spicy chocolate bars and more!

These napkin rings are my new favorite thing!  So versatile.
This Mexican Pumpkin candle smells amazing!
Look at the yummy World Market foods

I lined the metal tray with a beautiful cloth napkin and then placed all of my goodies inside.  I used a large cello gift bag that I purchased at World Market and covered the entire tray of goodies and tied it with twine and ribbon.  I then attached a recipe card for Southwest Creamy Chicken Pasta which can be made with everything in the gift basket.  What a great way to personalize a gift!

Want the recipe for my Southwestern Creamy Chicken Pasta? 


Make sure you run over to Cost Plus World Market's Facebook Page to enter your chance to win the:
Gourmet Getaway Sweepstakes

o   A trip for two to Santa Fe, New Mexico (this is a 5 day Trip for 2
to Santa Fe which includes airfare and hotel)
o   Hands on Southwestern Cooking class with Master Chef
o   Personally signed glossy cookbook
o   Multi-course dinner at the acclaimed Geronimo
o   Southwestern Foodie Tour with a cultural kick
o   A $1,000 World Market gift card
** There will also be 3 runner up prize winners that will each receive a $500 World Market gift card!
**The Gourmet Getaway Sweepstakes runs from August 18, 2012 until September 21, 2012.
**If you share the sweepstakes with 5 of your friends (via FB share or email) you can receive 5 additional bonus entries. This is part of the registration process when entering. Users can also enter daily for more chances to win.


This blog post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™, but all my opinions are my own.